New Jersey has had its share of water scares in the past week as Pacu fish have been caught in a freshwater lake and a deadly Portuguese Man of War have washed ashore from the ocean. Is water the most dangerous place for the Garden State as these mysterious creatures find their way to the Jersey shore?
New Jersey Freshwater Fears: Pacu Fish, the “Nutcracker” Fish
Local Jersey residents Ron and Frank Rossi caught a frightening fish in Swedes Lake, a man-made lake in southern New Jersey. The father-son fishing duo at first thought it may be a piranha until further inspection of the ghastly teeth revealed a set that looked strangely similar to human teeth.
The fish they happened to pull in was an omnivorous Pacu fish, a Brazilian legend said to enjoy feasting on human flesh. These fish with their eerily human-like teeth have been reported to wait for fishermen and swimmers to get close enough before tearing at an unsuspecting man’s testicles.
However, luckily for all water-loving Jersey men, those nut-munching rumors are just that, rumors. Though the fish do have a rather powerful bite, they are most likely not a large threat to humans or their nether regions says Peter Rask Møller, a University of Copenhagen fish expert.
New Jersey Seaside Scares: Portuguese Man of War Jellyfish
Meanwhile on the seashore, New Jersey residents may have seen a curiously colored blobs washed up on their beach. But before getting too close to the brilliant blue and mesmerizing magenta bubbles, beach officials have a serious and urgent warning to give: stay away from the Portuguese Man of War.
Many regular beachgoers are used to the sight of jellyfish floating in the currents and tossed in the waves. However, these vibrant Portuguese Man of War are not your typical jellyfish. Though it’s technically not a jellyfish, they are related. The Man of War just happens to be the more terrifying and deadly cousin.
It’s actually a siphonophore, a very scientific name for a bunch of tiny zooids tied together within their physiology. Think of it as a small family-like community that can deliver a powerful sting with its long tentacles. Because the tentacles can grow up to 9-feet long and are full of neurotoxins, you can be a great length away from the creature and it can still cause pain or even paralysis.
Safety Verdict for New Jersey Waters
The Department of Environmental Protection believes that the Rossi’s exotic catch this weekend was most likely someone’s pet pacu, as they are quite popular now in the United States, that was released into the lake. However, as their popularity rises, so do the number of pacu released into man-made lakes. Officials have taken this opportunity to remind pacu pet owners to humanely dispose of the cousin to piranhas when they no longer can take care of the fish rather than dump them in a lake. Especially one populated by fishermen who just may have something a bit too tasty for the fish to pass up.
Officials and marine biology experts believe the lone Portuguese Man of War traveled along the Gulf Stream, floating along from the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico to the chillier coast of New Jersey with it’s gas-filled bladder called a pneumatophore pushing it along like a sail. However, they don’t think another one will make an appearance any time soon.
As of now with such isolated incidents of the single Pacu fish catch and the lone Portuguese Man of War, lake lovers and beach goers may not have to shun their summer fun after all in New Jersey.
