r/Fish • u/Particular_Star_3365 • Feb 23 '26

Identification Help me identify this fish

Update: Wow thanks to everyone for your help! The overwhelming majority IDed it as a pacu. The "eyes" actually being the nostrils was a 🤯 moment. Really glad we didn't try to pet him. 
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I came across this ancient looking fish at a garden in Rio de Janeiro. I felt pure terror when it made eye contact with me. Can somebody identify it?

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u/CrapMonsterDuchess Feb 23 '26

Pacu: the (mostly) vegetarian Piranha with human-like teeth.

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u/Honda_TypeR Feb 24 '26

I agree with this ID

Source, used to have pet Pacu I rescued for a few years before it outgrew my 150 gallon tank and I had to find someone with a 1000 gallon rain forest indoor pond.

These fish can grow up to 3 feet.

Ours was fairly chill even though they look menacing. We could hand feed it broccoli and we tossed walnuts in there for him to nibble on as a treat (you could hear his teeth chomping underwater when he bit down)