http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1246443/Pet-shop-owner-bitten-man-eating-piranha.html
Pet shop owner's narrow escape after a piranha fish decided it didn't want to be sold
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:39 AM on 27th January 2010
A pet shop owner had a narrow escape when he was bitten by a piranha fish as he tried to sell it.
Dave Brown, 44, needed stitches to a deep wound after the fish sunk its sharp fangs into his thumb.
It took a chunk out of him as scooped the animal into a bag at Holmbush Pet Centre in St Austell, Cornwall.
Dave had already tried to pick it up twice but the fiesty fish lunged at him on his third attempt and bit into his right digit.
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Attack: David Brown needed stitches after being bitten by the piranha fish
Experts say he was 'very unlucky' to be bitten because piranhas only attack when they are hungry - and not in self defence.
Dave, of St Austell, said he only took in the six-inch fish as a 'one-off' because the previous owner was too scared to look after it.
He said: 'It was the only piranha we have ever had and I don't think we'll be taking on another one.
'There was blood everywhere. Every time I had him in a plastic bag the fish would bite through it. He was quite a feisty one.
'When I went up to the desk at the hospital and said I had been bitten by a piranha, they looked at me in disbelief.' Fish expert David Waines (corr), of the Blue Reef Aquarium in nearby Newquay, said Dave was 'very unlucky' to be attacked.
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A piranha or piraña is a member of a family of omnivorous freshwater fish which live in South American rivers. They are known for their sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for meat
He said: 'Piranhas are not usually aggressive but they are voracious eaters and have incredibly sharp, powerful teeth.
'He was very unlucky as these fish normally just attack when they're hungry. It may have been a bit peckish.
'But you always need to take care when handling these type of creatures. Piranhas can do a lot of damage when they do attack.' Piranhas are freshwater fish mainly found in South American rivers and occasionally in North America.
They are normally about six to 10 inches long, although some specimens have been reported to be up to 18 inches in length.
Piranhas have the same sensory system that enables sharks to detect blood in minuscule amounts.
They have a single row of powerful teeth and feed on a diet of fish, birds and mammals.
Pet shop owner's narrow escape after a piranha fish decided it didn't want to be sold
By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 11:39 AM on 27th January 2010
A pet shop owner had a narrow escape when he was bitten by a piranha fish as he tried to sell it.
Dave Brown, 44, needed stitches to a deep wound after the fish sunk its sharp fangs into his thumb.
It took a chunk out of him as scooped the animal into a bag at Holmbush Pet Centre in St Austell, Cornwall.
Dave had already tried to pick it up twice but the fiesty fish lunged at him on his third attempt and bit into his right digit.
Enlarge
Attack: David Brown needed stitches after being bitten by the piranha fishExperts say he was 'very unlucky' to be bitten because piranhas only attack when they are hungry - and not in self defence.
Dave, of St Austell, said he only took in the six-inch fish as a 'one-off' because the previous owner was too scared to look after it.
He said: 'It was the only piranha we have ever had and I don't think we'll be taking on another one.
'There was blood everywhere. Every time I had him in a plastic bag the fish would bite through it. He was quite a feisty one.
'When I went up to the desk at the hospital and said I had been bitten by a piranha, they looked at me in disbelief.' Fish expert David Waines (corr), of the Blue Reef Aquarium in nearby Newquay, said Dave was 'very unlucky' to be attacked.
Enlarge
A piranha or piraña is a member of a family of omnivorous freshwater fish which live in South American rivers. They are known for their sharp teeth and a voracious appetite for meatHe said: 'Piranhas are not usually aggressive but they are voracious eaters and have incredibly sharp, powerful teeth.
'He was very unlucky as these fish normally just attack when they're hungry. It may have been a bit peckish.
'But you always need to take care when handling these type of creatures. Piranhas can do a lot of damage when they do attack.' Piranhas are freshwater fish mainly found in South American rivers and occasionally in North America.
They are normally about six to 10 inches long, although some specimens have been reported to be up to 18 inches in length.
Piranhas have the same sensory system that enables sharks to detect blood in minuscule amounts.
They have a single row of powerful teeth and feed on a diet of fish, birds and mammals.
