The Fisheries Department (DOF) has urged anglers around Klau Dam in Raub, Pahang, not to discard any fish resembling a piranha, but instead hand them over to authorities for species identification.
DOF director-general Datuk Adnan Hussain said the department has yet to obtain a physical specimen of the fish featured in a viral video and alleged to be a piranha.
He said preliminary analysis conducted with the Fisheries Research Institute in Glami Lemi, Negeri Sembilan, and an assessment of the fish’s morphology in the video suggested it was similar to a piranha.
“However, we cannot confirm it because there is no physical specimen. The angler who caught the fish had discarded it.
“So, do not throw away or dispose of any fish suspected to be a piranha. Hand it over to DOF so that we can conduct an official identification,” he said after launching the Marine Education Centre at Hotel Angsana, Teluk Bahang, today.
The issue gained attention after a video circulated on social media showing a fish allegedly resembling a piranha at Klau Dam, raising concerns among the public.
Adnan said authorities would need to examine the fish’s physical characteristics, including its morphology, scales and teeth, to determine whether it was actually a piranha or another species such as pacu.
DOF Pahang has also contacted anglers around Klau Dam and asked them to keep and hand over any fish displaying characteristics similar to a piranha.
“For now, we do not have a physical specimen and can only conclude that the fish in the video resembles a piranha. Its species has yet to be confirmed,” Adnan said.
He added that DOF was also in discussions with Aquawalk Group Berhad and Aquaria KLCC, which have live piranha specimens and DNA data that could assist in the identification process.
Authorities are considering using environmental DNA (eDNA) or DNA extracted directly from a physical specimen to determine whether the fish found at Klau Dam is a piranha or pacu.
Asked whether piranhas could survive and reproduce in Malaysian waters, Adnan said the species could theoretically adapt to the local ecosystem.
He noted that piranhas originate from the Amazon River in Brazil, which has a tropical climate similar to Malaysia.
“Generally, they could reproduce in our ecosystem. In fact, Amazonian fish such as Arapaima gigas and alligator gar are already capable of surviving in our ecosystem,” he said.
