Pacu, Piranha-Like Fish, Found In Butler County's Glade Run Lake
By: KDKA-TV News Staff
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP, Pa. (KDKA) - A fish related to piranhas and native to South America has been found in Butler County.
The Glade Run Lake Conservancy says a fish identified as a pacu was recently found on the bank of the lake.
They say the species can't survive in colder waters, like those in southwestern Pennsylvania, but its presence is a "cause for concern." Introducing exotic and nonnative species can potentially upset the ecological balance of the lake.
According to the Butler Eagle, the foot-long carcass was found by a Jefferson Township resident while walking. The Butler Eagle reports the conservancy believes the fish must have been released into the lake by someone who had it as a pet.
Glade Run Lake is a 52-acre impoundment owned by the state and managed by the Fish and Boat Commission.