The recent capture of a fish species off the coast of Denmark that is rumored to sometimes mistake human male genitalia for nuts sparked fears of "testicle-eating fish" invading Scandinavian waters—and even led experts to caution men to keep their swimsuits well tied.

But the scientists say that their warning wasn't intended to be taken seriously, and that it's highly unlikely that swimmers will encounter a pacu, as the fish is called.

"All we said last week (with a smile) was that male swimmers should keep their pants on in case there are more pacus out there in our cold Baltic waters," Peter Rask Møller, a fish expert at Denmark's University of Copenhagen, said in an email.

"Its teeth and powerful