In a review where 38–39 piranha species were recognized, 25 were from the Amazon and 16 from Orinoco, while only 3 were present in Paraguay–Paraná and 2 in São Francisco. While standing on the bank of the Amazon River, he witnessed a spectacle created by local fishermen. Which fish is known as a living fossil? "Molecular systematics of Serrasalmidae: Deciphering the identities of piranha species and unraveling their evolutionary histories", Black-finned Pacu Fish, Colossoma macropomum Profile with care, maintenance requirements and breeding information for your tropical fish, In River of Many Aliens, Snakehead Looms as Threat, "City cancels piranha bounty as other fish slaughtered", "Mega-Bites: Extreme jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas (Serrasalmidae)", "Alimentação e ecomorfologia de duas espécies de piranhas (Characiformes: Characidae) do lago de Viana, estado do Maranhão, Brasil", "Tribes of Eastern Bolivia and the Madeira Headwaters", 5 arrested for selling piranhas in Philippines, Piranha Attack In Argentina Injures More Than 70, Fish Tore 'Bits Of Flesh' Off Swimmers On Christmas, "Ataque de piranhas deixa 15 feridos em 'prainha' no Rio Tietê", "Praia no Rio Paraguai tem quase um ataque de piranhas por dia em MT", "Net to take bite out of Brazilian piranhas", "Palmas registra 190 ataques de piranhas desde janeiro", "Balneário no Piauí recebe 100 mil peixes para conter ataque de piranhas", "Homem bêbado morre após ser atacado por piranhas na Bolívia", "Menina é atacada por piranhas e morre no Amazonas", "Girl, 6, dies after piranhas eat her legs when canoe capsizes on family holiday", "Piranhas vermelhas são medrosas e comem vegetais", "Experimentos provam que peixes se agrupam para defesa, não para ataque", "Safety in numbers? Although often described as extremely predatory and mainly feeding on fish, their dietary habits vary extensively, and they will also take plant material, … Take this quiz. Estimates range from fewer than 30 to more than 60. Pygocentrus The exception is Pygopristis, which has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp usually only slightly larger than the other cusps. It is important to keep Pygocentrus piranhas alone or in groups of four or more, not in pairs, since aggression among them is common, not allowing the weaker fish to survive, and is distributed more widely when kept in larger groups. Other fishes are their usual prey, but cattle and occasionally humans are also attacked.…, …of note is the meat-eating piranha, a fish resembling the bluegill that travels in large schools and inhabits the tropical parts of the system.…. Especially during low water, this species, which can grow up to 50 cm (about 20 inches) in length, hunts in groups that can number more than 100. [3] The diet often shifts with age and size. Serrasalmus Test your knowledge. Ichthyologists often separate the carnivorous “true piranhas” from the vegetarian members of Serrasalminae. [26] Being in the water when already injured or otherwise incapacitated also increases the risk. However, a recent analysis showed, if the piranha group is to be monophyletic, it should be restricted to Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus, and part of Pristobrycon, or expanded to include these taxa plus Pygopristis, Catoprion, and Pristobrycon striolatus. When located, the attacking scout signals the others. These common fishes have deep bodies, saw-edged bellies, and large, generally blunt heads with strong jaws bearing sharp, triangular teeth that meet in a scissorlike bite. [35], Various stories exist about piranhas, such as how they can skeletonize a human body or cattle in seconds. [3] Piranhas will often scavenge,[6] and some species such as Serrasalmus elongatus are specialized scale-eaters, feeding primarily on scales and fins of other fish. This is probably done acoustically, as piranhas have excellent hearing. Colours vary from silvery with orange undersides to almost completely black. ", "Rumble in the jungle with Amazon's killer piranha", "Piranha meat could take a bite out of what ails you", How to maintain healthy piranha in the home aquarium, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Piranha&oldid=989002741, Short description is different from Wikidata, Wikipedia indefinitely semi-protected pages, Wikipedia indefinitely move-protected pages, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 November 2020, at 14:17. Pristobrycon This behavior has been documented among several South American tribes, including the Camayura and Shavante in Brazil and the Pacahuara in Bolivia. Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. [4] In addition to fish (occasionally even their own species[17]), documented food items for piranhas include other vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles), invertebrates (insects, crustaceans), fruits, seeds, leaves and detritus. By signing up for this email, you are agreeing to news, offers, and information from Encyclopaedia Britannica. The most infamous is the red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), with the strongest jaws and sharpest teeth of all. Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. A piranha or piraña, a member of family Serrasalmidae, or a member of the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes, is a freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Piranhas have one of the strongest bites found in bony fishes. Premium Membership is now 50% off! These fearsome predators often occur in large schools and can quickly strip the flesh from their victims. Although modest in size, they have short, powerful jaws armed with razor-sharp teeth. [6], Aquarium piranhas have been unsuccessfully introduced into parts of the United States. Omissions? Most species of piranhas, however, never kill large animals, and piranha attacks on people are rare. (See also Sidebar: Vegetarian Piranhas.) [3][26] Swimming near fishermen may increase the risk of attacks due to the commotion caused by struggling fish and the presence of bait in the water. [19], Piranha teeth are often used as tools themselves (such as for carving wood or cutting hair) or to modify other tools (such as sharpening of darts). Pygopristis was found to be more closely related to Catoprion than the other three piranha genera. It is not uncommon to find individual piranhas with one eye missing due to a previous attack. Pygopristis Piranhas are "basically like regular fish with large teeth". Although often described as extremely predatory and mainly feeding on fish, their dietary habits vary extensively, and they will also take plant material,[3] leading to their classification as omnivorous. Newly hatched young feed on zooplankton, and eventually move on to small fish once large enough. [20][21][22] Piranhas are also popular as food. (2018). The teeth are tightly packed and interlocking (via small cusps) and are used for rapid puncture and shearing. These legends refer specifically to the red-bellied piranha. [3][25] However, attacks have occurred, especially when the piranhas are in a stressed situation, such as the dense groups that may occur when the water is lower during the dry season and food is relatively scarce. After blocking off part of the river and starving the piranhas for several days, they pushed a cow into the water, where it was quickly torn apart and skeletonized by a school of hungry piranhas. [15], Piranhas vary extensively in ecology and behavior depending on exact species. [3] In a few species such as Serrasalmus serrulatus, the dietary split may be more equal, but this is less certain as based on smaller samples: Among 24 S. serrulatus from flooded forests of Ji-Paraná (Machado) River, there were several with fish remains in their stomachs, but half contained masticated seeds and in most of these this was the dominant item. El diccionario de la Real Academia también da este mismo origen, del tupi pirá ("pez") y aya ("dientes"). [32] On 25 December 2013, more than 70 bathers were attacked at Rosario in Argentina, causing injuries to their hands or feet. [30], Most piranha attacks on humans only result in minor injuries, typically to the feet or hands, but they are occasionally more serious and very rarely can be fatal. Everyone in the group rushes in to take a bite and then swims away to make way for the others. [18] In another study of more than 250 Serrasalmus rhombeus at Ji-Paraná (Machado) River, 75% to 81% (depending on season) of the stomach content was fish, but about 10% was fruits or seeds. [27] In 2011, a drunk 18-year-old man was attacked and killed in Rosario del Yata, Bolivia. Some rogue exotic fish traders are thought to have released them in the lake to avoid being caught by antipoaching forces. [6], Piranhas can be bought as pets in some areas, but they are illegal in many parts of the United States, and in the Philippines, where importers face six months to four years in jail, and the piranhas destroyed to prevent proliferation in the latter.[23][24].
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