Pacu © Josh More
Vagabondish is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Read our disclosure.
Word spread quickly that a supposedly carnivorous fish that sometimes mistakes men’s genitalia for food had been found in Scandinavian waters. Now, National Geographic is assuring men who treasure their testicles that they can relax and enjoy a swim in Denmark without fear of having their junk bitten off.
Although finding a pacu in Danish waters was remarkable, the warnings that men should take precautions to protect their genitalia, which spread far and wide through publications such as CNN, turned out to have been an offhand joke that ended up being repeated far more often than expected.
The pacu does have sharp teeth that are potentially dangerous, but there is no record of one ever attacking a human, and its diet consists of fruit.