From the Trans-Baikal Territory, there are again reports of fishing with a rod for piranhas - toothy fish usually living in the waters of South America.
According to the local press, the first cases of catching unusual fish were recorded in Lake Ivan near Chita several years ago. Then the experts considered that we were talking about genetic anomalies due to the increased radiation background in Transbaikalia.
This time, scientists are promised to submit for research a freshly frozen sample recently caught by a fisherwoman Ksenia Demina.
According to the prey herself, the unusual fish, which almost bit the line and went back to the lake, was caught with a bait, and then lived for two more days in a plastic bucket, which immediately began to gnaw. Either the plastic got toxic, or the stress killed the predator, but the fish died. Now she is in the freezer of Xenia's home refrigerator.
Journalists were allowed to photograph and measure the unusual prey. The length of the caught specimen is 29 centimeters, weight is 420 grams, the skin is smooth, like that of salmon. By the way, it is possible that this is some kind of mutated trout, but only its teeth confuse people.
Information about the unusual fish has already been transferred to the Institute of Natural Resources, Ecology and Cryology of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Senior Researcher Evgenia Gorlacheva made a preliminary conclusion that it really could be a piranha.
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The ichthyologist suggested that the South American predator got into the lake from someone's aquarium. On Monday, the captured specimen will be handed over to scientists for research.
Experts remind that piranhas spawn, like many fish in early summer, which means that, theoretically, a population of these fish may soon appear in the Trans-Baikal lakes, which will become a real sensation.
