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Officials Warn Fines After Pet Piranha Caught

8/14/2026

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Summary

Story summary

On Aug. 8, 2026, 8-year-old Seamus Coffey caught a piranha at a Pennsylvania lake.
Mike Parker, Fish and Boat Commission Director, said the fish was a pet red-bellied piranha.
After the Coffeys humanely killed the piranha, Parker warned that exotic releases can incur fines.
Parker noted a red-bellied piranha was caught at North Park Lake near Pittsburgh in July 2016 and said it likely would not survive winter but could still harm ecosystem.

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Story summary

On Aug. 8, 2026, 8-year-old Seamus Coffey caught a piranha at a Pennsylvania lake.
Mike Parker, Fish and Boat Commission Director, said the fish was a pet red-bellied piranha.
After the Coffeys humanely killed the piranha, Parker warned that exotic releases can incur fines.
Parker noted a red-bellied piranha was caught at North Park Lake near Pittsburgh in July 2016 and said it likely would not survive winter but could still harm ecosystem.