Fish With Human-Like Teeth Caught In Lake St. Clair, Port Huron [PHOTOS]

LAKE ST CLAIR (WWJ) - Officials with the DNR say multiple anglers have caught something unusual in local waters: fish with human-like teeth.

At least three of the fish, called pacu, have been caught in July alone, according to Mlive.com. Two were caught off the coast of Lake St. Clair, and the other was hooked off the shores of Port Huron.

Known as "vegetarian piranhas," the fish have human-like teeth to eat a diet of nuts and berries, and can grow several feet long and up to 100 pounds. Despite being vegetarian, the pacu has gained an overblown reputation for its teeth and is referenced in many articles online as the "testicle-eating fish."

Officials say the pacu hail from the Amazon and other South American Rivers, but have been found in fresh water across the United States, from California to New Jersey. And it's not the first time the fish have landed in Michigan waters, either.

"People keep pacu as pets," DNR Fisheries Research Biologist Mike Thomas told Mlive. "They're a very popular fish in the aquarium trade. When they get too big (for their aquarium), they start eating other fish and they set them free."

The DNR reminds residents that releasing nonnative fish into Michigan waterways is illegal, punishable by up to six months in jail and $5,000.