According to the paper, 12 aquariums, or ocean amusement parks, and pet fish dealers with the species in the city have destroyed, or prepared to follow the order.

China issued the ban and the killing order for fear of disastrous consequence once the fish, also known as man-eating fish, escaped to the country's water system and become part of it.

At Fuguo Ocean Amusement Park near the Workers' Stadium in eastern Beijing, all of its 30-strong piranha fish were destroyed Monday, according to the report.

At a pet fish market near Guanyuan Park, reporters Monday failed to find a piranha fish there, and some dealers said they would not sell the fish for fear of heavy penalty.

According to an urgent notice issued by Beijing Municipal Agricultural Administration pasted at the entrance to the market, dealers would be fined up to 50,000 yuan (US$6,000) if found selling the fish after December 24.

A total of 26 piranha fish owned by Taipingyang (Pacific) Ocean Amusement Park were fished out on December 19 to died through dehydration, and their body were later fed sharks.

The agricultural administration issued the order on December 18, urging all those possessing the fish to destroy the species by December 24, and not to possess or trade the fish any more.

But Beijing Aquarium, which owns about 300 piranha fish, the largest flock of the fish in Beijing, has yet to kill the fish as managers were still discussing ways to dispose them, according to the report.

The fish at the aquarium have undergone sterilization operations and have no capacity to breed, and have been under strict surveillance to block any possible escape, according to the aquarium.

But not every aquarium seems to agree with the ban, some argued that the fish which underwent sterilization operations pose no threat, hoping the government would soften its stand on the fish.

Although the piranha has a gentle appearance, it is on the top of list "most dangerous aquatic species" in the Amazon region of Brazil.

Similar bans have been introduced in other part of the country, including Guangdong Province, south China, Shaanxi Province, northwest China, Chongqing, southwest China.

China's quarantine administration notified its agencies around the country on November 27 to stem the entry of the fish into the country.

Experts said about 1,200 head of cattle are killed every year in Brazil by the deadly fish.

Even children playing in the river and women washing clothes by the river may be victims of the dangerous fish.

The fish has recently appeared at some pet markets in China, where it was snapped up in cities such as Guangzhou, Nanning, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenyang, according to the paper.

How the piranha was first introduced into China and in what way it became popular on domestic markets remain unclear.

(Xinhua News Agency December 25, 2002)