That Was No Bass a Boy Caught in an Oklahoma Pond

"We're used to just catching a few bass or catfish" in the pond behind her family's house, Janna Clinton said. "I mean, nothing with human-like teeth." But her son Charlie's screaming when fishing over the weekend indicated that something was up, though she thought he probably was just being dramatic, NPR reports. Charlie had reeled in a pacu, an invasive South American fish related to a piranha, complete with major teeth. A pacu is not supposed to be in a pond near Oklahoma City, wildlife officials said.

When that happens, it's often because it grew too large for somebody who was keeping the fish as a pet. The fish can grow to be 3½ feet long and weigh up to 88 pounds, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation said. "The practice of dumping unwanted pets in waterways can be incredibly harmful to native wildlife," the department posted on Facebook. (Pacu) are "an exotic, invasive species that can cause damage to our local ecosystems." The fish has been caught from Pennsylvania to Indiana, CBS News reports.

The family notified a game warden of the catch, posted a photo online, and returned the fish to the pond. "It's a catch-and-release pond," Janna Clinton said, "so we unfortunately did release it back." The Clintons were told too late that's not what should happen with an invasive fish. "We made a mistake there," she said. So Charlie is working long days trying to catch the pacu again, after nabbing the first one with a piece of bread. "He said it put up a heck of a fight," Janna Clinton said, adding that Charlie "did a great job." (More pacu stories.)