Kota Kinabalu: State Fisheries Director Dr Ahemad Sade has played down concerns from the public that flesh eating piranhas were being sold in supermarkets in the State.Speaking to Daily Express, he pointed out that the fishes being mistaken for piranhas were actually a different species i.e. Red Bellied Pacu fish and urged the public not to be alarmed. "We are aware of these pacu fishes being sold in the State. They may look similar (as they are related to) but are not flesh eating piranhas."
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It was learnt that the fish was sourced from Sarawak and distributed and sold in Sabah for up to RM20 per kg. A Daily Express reader alerted the paper when he came across the fish on display at a Putatan supermarket with the word "Piranha" as the name.
Ahemad confirmed that it was a foreign fish species and to date there have not been any reports of the fish being bred in Sabah."Originally it was brought into Sarawak for research purposes but it is being bred there now (by certain parties).
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"We won't allow these fishes to be brought into the State alive but it is allowed i.e. there are exceptions when brought in dead as a fresh food item for example." He also said reports mentioning the fish being also sourced from Tawau were incorrect.
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"We would know about it if these fishes were being bred (aquaculture) in the State."Although similar in appearance to red-bellied piranhas, Red Bellied Pacu are omnivorous with squarer, straighter teeth, which are similar to human teeth and feed mainly on plant material unlike meat eating piranhas which is pointed and razor-sharp.
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