The Famous Dort Mall Fish Is Going to a New Aquarium in Ohio

It's the end of an era for Charlie, the Dort Mall fish.

We've only lived in Michigan for six years and even we know about the infamous Dort Mall fish. His name is Charlie, and he's a Tambaqui , also known as a Giant Pacu. He's lived in a 500-gallon tank inside the mall for the last 17 years; now, he's going to his new retirement home in Ohio.

He's headed south, courtesy of the Ohio Fish Rescue. He'll be able to swim freely and live out his best life in a 3,000 gallon tank. It's a "not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving unwanted pet fish and other aquatic species."

The mall's owner, Robert Perani, told WNEM TV-5 that they're sad to see him go, but they also know that it's what's best for Charlie. “We’re still working on some details… to make sure they have everything prepared on their end to safely transport Charlie to their facility."

Pacus are native to the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America. Like Piranhas, they have teeth, but they're not very similar - Piranhas have razor-sharp teeth; Pacus have square teeth.

In case you didn't know, Charlie is somewhat famous online. There's a Reddit page dedicated to "saving" him, and there's a Q&A about him on an aquarium website.

From the looks of him, he outgrew this tank a long time ago. We have no doubt that he'll be happy in his new "mansion" in Ohio. Bye, Charlie!

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