Re: NANFA-L-- Texas Man Catches Fish With Human-Like Teeth

dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
Thu, 20 Jul 2006 08:50:49 -0500

Well, if you are talking about tambaqui (_Collosoma_), and not pacu
(_Metynnis, Myleus, Mylossoma_), the size would make catching it
interesting. The thing reaches 80 pounds. However, if hook and line
angling is the only acceptable "sport fishing," then reliable fishing
would entail using vegetable bait, maybe monkey feces, which they
eat. All these fish are vegetarians. Michael Goulding, in _The
Fishes and the Forest_ reported on the stomach contents of many of
both groups. He never found animal remains. A brazil nut might make
good bait for tambiqui, a rubber tree leaf for some of the pacu's. The
true pacu's only grow to about a foot long, and two pounds weight.
>From what I could tell in Brazil, _Collosoma_ is never called pacu
there.

Aquaculturists are interested in these fish. The _Collosma_ we ate
were delicious. the others were extremely bony, and were prepared by
using a razor sharp knife to slice the flesh in ribbons down to the
spinal column, then deep fat frying. It was sort of like eating
potato chips (fish chips). Also, they are deeply laterally
compressed, so that there really is little flesh. These are the fish
that aquarists call "silver dollars."

Dave
David L. McNeely, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Langston University; P.O. Box 1500
Langston, OK 73050; email: dlmcneely-in-lunet.edu
telephone: (405) 466-6025; fax: 405) 466-3307
home page http://www.lunet.edu/mcneely/index.htm

"Where are we going?" "I don't know, are we there yet?"

----- Original Message -----
From: Mysteryman <bestfish-in-alaweb.com>
Date: Thursday, July 20, 2006 7:24 am
Subject: Re: NANFA-L-- Texas Man Catches Fish With Human-Like Teeth
> Don't panic, but I understand that there has been some discussion
> regarding
> the introduction of pacu as a sportfish, due to their flavor &
> fighting
> ability. I'm sure that nothing will come of it, but be on the
> lookout for
> any such murmurings in your own home states.
> Hmmm... come to think of it, this is old news. Nevermind.
> They are fun to catch & quite yummy, though, aren't they? I can
> see how some
> bonehead might be sorely tempted, especially after the way that
> Oscars &
> Clown Knifefish have become so popular in south Florida among
> anglers.
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