Pacu is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater serrasalmid fish related to piranhas. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw … See more

Pacus have been introduced to the wild in many places outside their native range, both in South America and other continents. They are sometimes released to increase the local fishing, but others are released by aquarists when they outgrow their aquarium. … See more

In 2013, a pacu was caught in the Øresund, a strait between Sweden and Denmark. This led to media reports mistakenly warning that the fish could attack See more

The common name pacu is generally applied to fish classified under the below listed genera. Among these, several genera contain species where commonly used English names … See more

Pacu, along with their piranha relatives, are a characin fish, meaning a kind of tetra, belonging to the Characiformes order. The ongoing classification of these fish is difficult and often contentious, with ichthyologists basing ranks according to characteristics that … See more

In their native range, pacus are widely fished and farmed. Based on a study by IBAMA, Colossoma macropomum, Piaractus brachypomus and Mylossoma spp. are all in the top-15 of the most caught fish (by weight) in the Brazilian Amazon See more