'It's a piranha!': Boy's unexpected catch sparks reminder about exotic pet releases – ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

‘It’s a piranha!’: Boy’s unexpected catch sparks reminder about exotic pet releases  ABC News – Breaking News, Latest News and Videos

An 8-year-old boy's unexpected catch at a lake in Pennsylvania has drawn attention to the issue of exotic pets being released into local waterways. The piranha wouldn't have survived in the lake for very long, an official said. RIDLEY PARK, Pa. — An 8-year-old boy's unexpected catch at a lake near Philadelphia has drawn attention to the issue of exotic pets being released into local waterways. During a Saturday morning fishing trip, Seamus Coffey was reeling in what he thought might be a large bass when he realized he had hooked something unusual. "I'm reeling it in, and I think there's a bass," Seamus said. His father, Michael Coffey, recalled saying: "I was like, 'Slow down dude, you might lose it.' This looks like something we haven't caught before." But what they found on the other end of the line caught them by surprise.

"I was like, 'Oh, this is a bluegill, I don't know what this is,'" recalled Michael. "And he said, 'It's a piranha!'" When asked how he knew, Seamus replied, "Because I watch YouTube!" The Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission later confirmed the identification. "Our biologists have confirmed that this is some species of piranha," said Mike Parker, a spokesperson for the agency. While the catch made for one heck of a story for the father-son fishing