Skinny Dippers in Scandinavia Told to Beware of Nut-Munching Fish

It's not sharks you should be worried about in Scandinavia. Instead, you should be concerned about the fish. Officials have recently announced that Pacu, a fish similar to a piranha, is targeting skinny dippers--for their nuts.

The Pacu is actually native to South America. With strong teeth that can take off a finger (or something more painful), these fish have been known to kill. The Pacu is responsible for the deaths of two fishermen in Papua New Guinea who died of blood loss after reportedly having their testicles bitten off, according to The Daily Mail. The fish can grow up to 55 pounds and usually feed on hard seeds and nuts--no pun intended.

The fish isn't known to normally attack people. But it could potentially think that some body parts might be food. For example, an 18-month-old toddler required surgery after a Pacu bit her finger at Edinburgh Butterfly and Insect World, according to The Daily Mail. However, there have currently been no reports of any Pacu attacks in European waters.

Now, the fish has been found by fishermen in the Danish/Swedish strait of Oresund. Since this fish is known as the more-friendly cousin of the piranha, many aquarium owners prize the species as a pet. It's possible that someone dumped the invasive fish into the strait. Currently, officials plan to perform a genetic examination on the Pacu in order to learn more about the fish, according to CNN. In the meantime, though, they're telling skinny dippers to beware.

"Anyone choosing to bathe in the Oresund these days had best keep their swimsuits well tied," said experts at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, who were warned of the recent Pacu sighting, according to The Huffington Post.

So when you step into the water, make sure to keep your clothes on; you probably don't want this fish to take a bite out of a body part you'd rather keep.