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A piranha or piraña (/ p ɪ ˈ r ɑː n j ə ˌ-r æ n /, or / p ɪ ˈ r ɑː n ə /; Portuguese: [piˈɾɐ̃ɲɐ], Spanish:) is any of a number of freshwater fish species in the family Serrasalmidae, [1] or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae [2] in order Characiformes.
They are omnivorous foragers and feed on insects, worms, crustaceans, and fish. They are not a migratory species but do travel to seek out conditions conducive to breeding and spawning during periods of increased rainfall. Red-bellied piranhas often travel in shoals as a predatory defense but rarely exhibit group hunting behavior. Acoustic ...
Like most fish, when the wimple piranha feeds on small fish or scales floating in the water, it uses suction feeding. However, to feed on scales attached to fish, it uses ram feeding, where the predator will charge at the fish; the force of this collision actually knocks scales free. The teeth are used to scrape scales from the body.
Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha, is a species of piranha. [1] It is a rare South American characiform fish found in the Orinoco River basin, rivers of the northern and eastern Guiana Shield , and tributaries of the lower Amazon River . [ 2 ]
This characteristic combined with its large size make it a danger to humans. Piranha's attacks on humans are anecdotal for the most part. The piranha mostly prefers to eat small fish and insects, along with seeds and aquatic plant material. The pygocentrus piraya plays a key role in their ecosystem by regulating the population of other fish [5]
The black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), also known as the redeye piranha, white piranha, spotted piranha or yellow piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a piranha from the family Serrasalmidae. It is found in northern South America.
The yacare caiman (Caiman yacare), also known commonly as the jacare caiman, Paraguayan caiman, piranha caiman, red caiman, [5] and southern spectacled caiman, [6] is a species of caiman, a crocodilian in the family Alligatoridae.
A few piranha species occasionally appear in the aquarium trade, and, in recent decades, dried specimens have been marketed as tourist souvenirs. [6] Piranhas occasionally bite and sometimes injure bathers and swimmers, but serious attacks are rare and the threat to humans has been exaggerated. [ 6 ]