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Swedish men have been warned to keep their swimming trunks on after a South American fish known for attacking testicles was found in the sea.

A fisherman in the Oresund Sound between Denmark and Sweden last week retrieved a 8 inch (21cm) pacu a relative of the piranha that is most commonly found in the Amazon region.

The freshwater fish, which can grow up to 35 in (90cm) and weigh up to 55 lb (25kg) has been nicknamed the ball cutter for its attacks on the male genitalia.

Found in most rivers in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America, they have also been spotted in Papua New Guinea, where it is believed they have been introduced to boost fish stocks.

Back in 2011, British angler Jeremy Wade caught a 40lb specimen in Papua New Guinea.

The latest discovery prompted the National History Museum in Denmark to warn: Keep your swimwear on if youre bathing in the Sound these days maybe there are more out there!


The specimen is the first one to have been caught at sea in Europe, the museum added.

The pacu is not normally dangerous to people but it has quite a serious bite, there have been incidents in other countries, such as Papua New Guinea where some men have had their testicles bitten off, Henrik Carl, a fish expert at the Danish museum, said.

They bite because theyre hungry, and testicles sit nicely in their mouth, he told English language news website The Local.