Red-bellied piranha
Scientific name: Pygocentrus nattereri
Country: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
Continent: South America
Diet: Insects - insectivore, fish - piscivore, worms.
Food & feeding: Carnivore
Habitats: Freshwater
Conservation status: Not Threatened
Relatives: Black piranha
Description: These small fish have the reputation of being one of the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. Their short jaws certainly are very powerful and lined with razor sharp teeth, well able to take a chunk of flesh out of much larger fish. As their name suggests they have a reddish tinge to the belly. They grow to a maximum of 33 cm and a weight of 3.5 kg.
Lifestyle: These fish form big shoals. They predominantly eat other fish but myth suggests they will attack any creature, whatever the size, if it is injured or struggling in the water.
Family & friends: Red-bellied piranhas are a schooling species.
Keeping in touch: These fish have a very good sense of hearing, using a special line of sensors down the sides of the their bodies, called the lateral line system. This enables them to find struggling prey in murky water.
Growing up: Eggs are squirted out into the water and fertilised by the males, then left to hatch, with no further care from the parents.
Did you know?
The piranah's reputation for attacking humans is almost certainly exaggerated. Ex U.S. President Theodore Roosefelt was one of the first to exaggerate the ferocity of this fish. Myth aside, bleeding and struggling animals are likely to be bitten in waters that contain large numbers of these fish. However, not all piranhas eat flesh. In fact, there are many species that are vegetarian and use their teeth to crack nuts which fall into the water.
