Boy Catches Piranha in Pennsylvania Lake, Highlighting Exotic Pet Release Issue

An eight-year-old boy fishing near Philadelphia reeled in a piranha, a tropical fish native to South America, during a weekend trip, highlighting the ongoing problem of exotic pets being released into local waterways. Seamus Coffey was fishing with his father, Michael, at Ridley Park Lake on Saturday, August 8, when he hooked the unexpected catch.

The boy initially thought he had caught a bass. "I'm reeling it in, and I think there's a bass," Seamus told reporters. His father quickly realized it was an unusual fish and urged him to be careful. "I was like, 'Slow down dude, you might lose it. This looks like something we haven't caught before,'" Michael Coffey recalled. Once the fish was landed, Seamus immediately identified it. "He said, 'It's a piranha!'" his father recounted. When asked how he knew, the boy replied, "Because I watch YouTube!"

The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission later confirmed the identification. "Our biologists have confirmed that this is some species of piranha," said Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the agency. The fish was described as a redbellied piranha, measuring about 9.5 inches and weighing approximately 2 pounds.