Most species of piranha never grow to a length of 60 cm (2 ft), and the colors vary from silver with orange undersides to almost black. Triangular sharp teeth meet with a scissors-like bite.
The habitat and location of piranhas
The piranha, also called the Caribe, is one of more than 60 species of barbed-toothed carnivorous fish from the rivers and lakes of South America, with a reputation somewhat exaggerated due to its ferocity. It feeds on plant matter, and the piranha ranges from northern Argentina to Colombia, but it is more diverse in the Amazon River, where there are 20 different species, and the most famous is the red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), with the strongest jaws and sharpest teeth ever This species, which can reach 50 cm (about 20 in) in length, hunts in groups of more than 100.
Several groups can converge in a feeding frenzy if a large animal is under a rare attack, and red piranhas prefer prey that is slightly larger or smaller than them. Piranha signals to others and it is likely that this is done vocally because piranhas have excellent hearing, and everyone in the group rushes to take a bite and then swims away to make room for the others.
piranha names
Found mainly in the basin of the Orinoco River and lower tributaries of the Amazon, the San Francisco piranha (P. piraya), a species that lives in the San Francisco River in Brazil, is also dangerous to humans, however most piranha species never kill larger animals. Piranha predatory attacks on people are rare, and although piranha predators are attracted to the smell of blood, most species move away more than they kill. Ichthologists define "true piranha predators" as carnivores. True piranhas are usually limited to three species, however historically other classifications have expanded the group to include four genera.
Quick information about piranha
1- Piranha is a fierce freshwater fish.
2- Piranhas live in lakes and rivers in South America.
3- You need warm water to survive and do not eat when the water temperature is below 12°C (54°F).
4- The total number of piranha species is unknown and disputed, new species are still being described, and estimates range from less than 30 to more than 60.
5- They live up to 25 years in the wild and 10-20 years in captivity.
6- Piranhas are usually about 15 to 25 centimeters (6 to 10 inches) long, although some specimens reach up to 50 centimeters (20 inches).
7- Piranha fish range in color from yellow to gray to bluish to partly red to almost black.
8- The mouth of the piranha is lined with a single row of sharp, three-shaved teeth, and they have a distinctive bite.
9- It is not uncommon for piranhas to lose their teeth throughout their lives, but while sharks replace their teeth individually, piranhas replace teeth in quadrants several times throughout their life.
10- Most piranhas are shy and non-aggressive, unless they are chasing or protecting their young.
11- Black piranhas and red piranhas are considered the most dangerous and aggressive towards humans.
12- Despite the carnivorous nature of piranhas, piranhas are actually carnivores and will eat almost anything they can find.
13. A typical piranha diet consists of insects, fish, crustaceans, worms, embryos, seeds, fruits, and other plant matter.
14. They will also eat anything that crosses their path, and because they hunt in groups they can hunt large animals, piranhas rarely attack humans, and fatal attacks are extremely rare.
15. These starving fish tend to have a group style of attack and ambush, with large groups of piranha feeding simultaneously.
16- Shallow water predatory piranhas can be found in numbers up to 1,000.
17- There are various stories about predatory piranhas, such as how they can weaken a human body or livestock in seconds, and these legends refer specifically to the red colored piranha.
18- Experiments have shown that piranhas have a surprisingly sharp sense of smell, which helps them eat ocatine food in the murky waters of their native habitat.
19- Piranhas have a standard respiratory system in most fish. They take in water through their gills and then absorb oxygen from the water. The oxygen goes into the bloodstream and after oxygen is absorbed, carbon dioxide is exhaled through the gills.
20 - The female lays about 5000 eggs and then the male fertilizes the eggs, and the male will protect the eggs and become very territorial.