The next time you are down South and are tempted to take a dip in the Godavari River in coastal Andhra Pradesh, beware, as you just might have a close encounter with a Piranha.

Environmental circles are agog with the news of the presence of red-bellied Piranha, the dreaded predatory fish made famous by Hollywood flicks of the same name, in Godavari River.

Piranhas, notorious for wiping out other fish species, are also known to attack humans when they do not get sufficient food. Environmental and wildlife experts say the deadly fish, with razor sharp teeth, is a native of rivers flowing through Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela. How such a fish landed in Godavari River and made its presence felt even in the fish market of coastal Andhra remains a mystery.

The first official confirmation of the presence of this deadly fish and its close cousin Pacu or Piaractus Brachypomus came when the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, reported that they were spotted near Dowleswaram barrage on Godavari River in East Godavari district. The barrage is located near Rajahmundry, just before the mighty Godavari branches into many streams and joins the Bay of Bengal.

The report from Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, has called for creating awareness among the local people and policy-makers about the threat this species poses to the biodiversity of a river as Piranhas are known to be aggressive and predatory in nature.

Shaikh Salahuddin, an active member of Deccan Angler, reported spotting the red-bellied carnivorous fish in a fish seed farm in West Godavari district. He quoted local fishermen as saying that the fish was quite commonly found in the region and they call it “Roop Chand”.

This suggested that Piranhas or a similar species have been present in these waters for a long time. “It was also sighted in Krishna, the other major river of the region,” said Salahuddin, adding that he also spotted the fish in a market near Hyderabad.

Wildlife Institute of India warned against further spread of this species by initiating measures to eradicate it from the Godavari River system. Though not known to be a man-eater, the fish is notorious for targeting human testicles when hungry.