PANGASINAN’s new poster fish, the Red Pacu (Collusom bidens), is now available for stocking in the province’s fresh water streams and lakes through the National Integrated Fisheries Technology Development Center (NIFTDC).

Dr. Westly Rosario, NIFTDC chief, said local government units can ask the agency for Red Pacu fingerlings if they wish to stock water bodies in their areas.

So far, fingerlings have been released in Bayambang to help address the proliferation of water lily.

Red Pacu, a cousin of the piranha and likewise indigenous to the Amazon River, is herbivorous and can therefore help clean fresh water streams, lakes and ponds teeming with water hyacinths which cover the sunlight needed by the fish to grow,

Being herbivorous, Red Pacu is also a food fish like tilapia or mudfish.

Its young is also traded as a decorative aquarium fish.

NO THREAT

Rosario assured that Red Pacu does not pose any threat of growing uncontrollably in rice farms, similar to what happened when the Golden Kuhol (snails) were introduced in the 1970s.

Based on research conducted by NIFTDC, Red Pacu becomes sexually mature only after two to three years, unless injected with hormones, which is only available in dormitories.

The fish can be harvested for consumption before its sexual maturity period.

The fish can grow up to 0.6 meter when it reaches adulthood.

The NIFTDC has been studying the Red Pacu over the last ten years, starting when the 10 pieces of the fish was turned over by a hobbyist.

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