Piranha. piranha fish

Piranha - freshwater fish, which belongs to the class of ray-finned fish, the subclass of new-finned fish, the infraclass of bony fish, the superorder bone-bladder, the order of characins. There are two classifications for families. According to one of them, piranha belongs to the characin family (lat. Characidae), according to the other, to the piranha family (lat. Serrasalmidae).

Regarding the origin of the name piranha, there are also different versions. According to one of them, the fish is named from the Portuguese word "pirata" - "pirate". According to another version, the name comes from the words "pira" and "ania", which in the language of the Guarani Indians mean, respectively, "fish" and "evil". Sometimes the fish is called "river hyena", "Caribbean fish", "devil fish", "tooth fish", "toothed demon", giving nicknames that characterize its temper and appearance. Alternatively, the names "piraya" and "piraya" are used.

The sense of smell of predatory species is extremely highly developed - they feel a drop of blood in a 250 liter pool in 30-40 seconds. Information about the movement of other fish is perfectly captured by the lateral line, causing an instant reaction.

The color of the representatives of the family is very diverse and beautiful. Fish can be silver, black, with spots and stripes, sparkles and tints. During life, the color of some varieties of piranhas changes. In spotted individuals, spots on the sides may disappear with age. The color of the fins is also different in different types. The fins can be transparent, red, with a dark border, with blue stripes, and so on.

Like others schooling fish, piranhas can give different sounding voice signals. They do not have vocal cords, so fish “talk” with the help of a swim bladder. fish cuts special group muscles at a speed of up to 150 times per second, due to which the bubble vibrates and makes a sound. To scare the enemy, piranhas cough or bark. When chasing an enemy, piranhas make sounds similar to drum roll. And directly during a physical attack, they croak hoarsely, like frogs.

Where do piranhas live?

The habitat of piranhas covers almost all of South America. Piranhas are found in the rivers of the Amazon basin, Parana, Uruguay, Essequibo, Orinoco. They are part of the fauna of Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, Colombia. Piranhas live in fresh water: rivers, channels, backwaters, floodplain lakes. The proximity of the sea is avoided. They are unable to breed in salt water and can only live in warm waters. The resettlement of these fish does not threaten freezing reservoirs.

Since 2008, there have been periodic reports in the media about the capture of piranhas in various lakes and rivers in Russia and Europe. But this does not mean at all that piranhas are found in Russia and European countries. Fish get into unnatural habitat conditions thanks to their owners, aquarists, who get rid of them by releasing them into rivers.

Piranhas lead a flock of life. It is typical for both young and adult individuals. They hunt in packs, and it was the pack attack that gave rise to the gloomy glory of these fish. The behavior of predatory piranhas in nature and in an aquarium is different. Predators living in the river are aggressive, they are not afraid of anything, they attack prey of any size. The attack of piranhas occurs at lightning speed and at once by the whole flock. Fish are attracted to splashes and movement in the water. The predator smelling the smell of blood will not be able to hold it back. Eyewitnesses claim that a flock of piranhas gnaws a pig weighing up to 50 kg to the bone in 1 minute. In captivity, the fish become shy. In stressful situations, they behave inappropriately. When shaking the aquarium and hitting it, they fall on their side and fall to the bottom, but quickly calm down and come to their senses.

The famous aggressiveness of piranhas is fully manifested if they are hungry and gathered in large numbers in a small area of \u200b\u200bthe reservoir. For example, when during dry periods flocks of piranhas find themselves in a drying branch of the river, cut off from big water, or in the narrow banks of shallow rivers. Regardless of the habitat, in the case stressful situations piranhas are in conflict with each other. They often bite each other's fins, lips, inflict wounds that heal rather quickly - in 4-6 days.

Herbivorous representatives of the piranha family are peaceful creatures that do not attack anyone, which themselves can become a victim of predators or humans.

What do piranhas eat?

Piranhas are incredibly gluttonous. Some species feed exclusively on vegetation, while others are predators. The predator piranha feeds on everything that moves in the water: fish, snakes, animals and even birds that land on the water or fly close to the surface of the reservoir. Even crocodiles are afraid of them, which, in an attempt to avoid a sad fate, roll over on their backs, exposing an armored shell to a hungry flock and saving an unprotected stomach. Many piranhas eat, among other things, plankton and insect larvae. Flag (pennant) piranha (lat. Catoprion mento) eats scales big fish, including members of their families.

In nature, piranhas do not take anything from the bottom, while in aquariums they pick up meat lying on the bottom. Predatory piranhas are prone to cannibalism. Relatives caught in the net or hooked, they eat instantly. Also, these fish are able to destroy all their own kind in the aquarium.

Herbivorous species of the piranha family eat aquatic vegetation and fruits that have fallen into the river.

How long do piranhas live?

In captivity, piranhas have a lifespan of 7 to 15 years, but some individuals live up to 20 years or more. For example, the maximum life span of 28 years was recorded in the red pacu. In nature, fish can probably live up to 20 years.

Piranha classification

According to information from the fishbase.org website (data from August 18, 2017), the piranha family includes 97 species of fish that belong to 16 genera. One genus is extinct.

Acnodon (Eigenmann, 1903) - aknodons, or sheep fish
- Acnodon normani (Gosline, 1951) - Norman's sheep fish, Norman's aknodon
- Acnodon oligacanthus (Müller & Troschel, 1844)
- Acnodon senai (Jégu & Santos, 1990)

Catoprion (Müller et Troschel, 1844) - pennant piranhas
- Catoprion mento (Cuvier, 1819) - flag piranha, pennant piranha

Colossoma (Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903) - colossomas
- Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1816) - brown pacu

Metynnis (Cope, 1878) - dollar fish, metynnis
- Metynnis altidorsalis (Ahl, 1923)
- Metynnis argenteus (Ahl, 1923) - silver metynnis, silver dollarfish
- Metynnis cuiaba (Pavanelli, Ota & Petry, 2009)
- Metynnis fasciatus (Ahl, 1931)
- Metynnis guaporensis (Eigenmann, 1915)
- Metynnis hypsauchen (Müller & Troschel, 1844)
- Metynnis lippincottianus (Cope, 1870) - Roosevelt's metynnis,
- Metynnis longipinnis (Zarske & Géry, 2008)
- Metynnis luna (Cope, 1878)
- Metynnis maculatus (Kner, 1858) - spotted metynnis, spotted dollarfish
- Metynnis mola (Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903) – Paraguayan metynnis
- Metynnis orinocensis (Steindachner, 1908)
- Metynnis otuquensis (Ahl, 1923)
- Metynnis polystictus (Zarske & Géry, 2008)

Mylesinus (Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1849)
- Mylesinus paraschomburgkii (Jégu, Santos & Ferreira, 1989)
- Mylesinus paucisquamatus (Jégu & Santos, 1988)
- Mylesinus schomburgkii (Valenciennes, 1850) - Guianan Milesin

Myleus (Müller et Troschel, 1844) - myleus
- Myleus altipinnis (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Myleus knerii (Steindachner, 1881)
- Myleus latus (Jardine, 1841)
- Myleus micans (Lütken, 1875)
- Myleus pacu (Jardine, 1841)
- Myleus setiger (Müller & Troschel, 1844)

Myloplus (Gill, 1896) - mylopluses
- Myloplus arnoldi (Ahl, 1936)
- Myloplus asterias (Müller & Troschel, 1844)
- Myloplus laevis (Eigenmann & McAtee, 1907) - smooth myloplus
- Myloplus lobatus (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Myloplus lucienae (Andrade, Ota, Bastos & Jégu, 2016
- Myloplus planquettei (Jégu, Keith & Le Bail, 2003
- Myloplus rhomboidalis (Cuvier, 1818)
- Myloplus rubripinnis (Müller & Troschel, 1844) - red-finned mile (mileus), star mile
- Myloplus schomburgkii (Jardine, 1841) - ribbon mile, disk tetra, Schomburgk mile
- Myloplus ternetzi (Norman, 1929)
- Myloplus tiete (Eigenmann & Norris, 1900)
- Myloplus torquatus (Kner, 1858)
- Myloplus zorroi (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)

Mylossoma (Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903) - mylossomas
- Mylossoma acanthogaster (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Mylossoma aureum (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
- Mylossoma duriventre (Cuvier, 1818)

Ossubtus (Jégu, 1992)
- Ossubtus xinguense (Jégu, 1992)

Piaractus (Eigenmann, 1903) – piaract piranhas
- Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818) - red pacu, red-breasted pacu, two-toothed colossoma
- Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887)

Pristobrycon (Eigenmann, 1915)
- Pristobrycon aureus (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) - golden pristobrycon
- Pristobrycon calmoni (Steindachner, 1908)
- Pristobrycon careospinus (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
- Pristobrycon maculipinnis (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
- Pristobrycon striolatus (Steindachner, 1908) - spotted pristobrycon

Pygocentrus (Müller et Troschel, 1844)
- Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821)
- Pygocentrus nattereri (Kner, 1858) - common piranha, Natterer's piranha
- Pygocentrus palometa (Valenciennes, 1850)
- Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819) - large piranha

Pygopristis (J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844)
- Pygopristis denticulata (Cuvier, 1819)

Serrasalmus (Lacepède, 1803) – piranhas
- Serrasalmus altispinis (Merckx, Jégu & Santos, 2000)
- Serrasalmus altuvei (Ramírez, 1965) - Altuve's piranha
- Serrasalmus auriventris (Burmeister, 1861)
- Serrasalmus brandtii (Lütken, 1875) - Brandt's piranha
- Serrasalmus compressus (Jégu, Leão & Santos, 1991)
- Serrasalmus eigenmanni (Norman, 1929)
- Serrasalmus elongatus (Kner, 1858) - slender piranha, elongated or gray pyrambeba
- Serrasalmus emarginatus (Jardine, 1841)
- Serrasalmus geryi (Jégu & Santos, 1988)
- Serrasalmus gibbus (Castelnau, 1855)
- Serrasalmus gouldingi (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
- Serrasalmus hastatus (Fink & Machado-Allison, 2001)
- Serrasalmus hollandi (Eigenmann, 1915) - Holland's pygmy piranha
- Serrasalmus humeralis (Valenciennes, 1850) - spotted piranha
- Serrasalmus irritans (Peters, 1877)
- Serrasalmus maculatus (Kner, 1858)
- Serrasalmus manueli (Fernández-Yépez & Ramírez, 1967) - Manuel's marble pygocentre
- Serrasalmus marginatus (Valenciennes, 1837)
- Serrasalmus medinai (Ramirez, 1965)
- Serrasalmus nalseni (Fernández-Yépez, 1969)
- Serrasalmus neveriensis (Machado-Allison, Fink, Lopez Rojas & Rodenas, 1993)
- Serrasalmus nigricans (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
- Serrasalmus nigricauda (Burmeister, 1861)
- Serrasalmus odyssei (Hubert & Renno, 2010)
- Serrasalmus rhombeus (Linnaeus, 1766) - diamond-shaped piranha
- Serrasalmus sanchezi (Géry, 1964) - Sanchez's malachite pirambeba
- Serrasalmus scotopterus (Jardine, 1841)
- Serrasalmus serrulatus (Valenciennes, 1850) - Guiana sawfish
- Serrasalmus spilopleura (Kner, 1858) - spotted piranha, firemouth pirambeba
- Serrasalmus stagnatilis (Jardine, 1841)
- Serrasalmus undulatus (Jardine, 1841)

Tometes (Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1849)
- Tometes ancylorhynchus (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)
- Tometes camunani (Andrade, Giarrizzo & Jégu, 2013)
- Tometes kranponhah (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)
- Tometes lebaili (Jégu, Keith & Belmont-Jégu, 2002)
- Tometes makue (Jégu, Santos & Belmont-Jégu, 2002)
- Tometes trilobatus (Valenciennes, 1850)

Utiaritichthys (Miranda Ribeiro, 1937)
- Utiaritichthys esguiceroi (Pereira & Castro, 2014)
- Utiaritichthys longidorsalis (Jégu, Tito de Morais & Santos, 1992)
- Utiaritichthys sennaebragai (Miranda Ribeiro, 1937)

†Megapiranha (Cione et al., 2009)
- Megapiranha paranensis is an extinct species.

By the way, the fish Megapiranha paranensis, which died out about 8-10 million years ago, reached 0.95-1.28 meters in length and weighed about 73 kilograms. According to calculations carried out by scientists, the bite force of a giant piranha relative to the mass of the body exceeded that of other known vertebrates, including tyrannosaurs. The bite force of the megapiranha reached 1240-4749 newtons, which means that the fish could hold an animal weighing 480 kg with its jaws.

Types of piranhas, names and photos

Below is a description of some species from the piranha family:

Common piranha (Natterera piranha) (lat.Pygocentrus nattereri) very dangerous for humans. In habitats, it is called "saikanga". One of the names given to the fish in honor of the Austrian scientist Johann Natterer.

The maximum length of the dense disc-shaped body of the fish reaches 60 cm. But usually Natterer piranhas are smaller in size: 25-35 cm. Young individuals are colored very brightly and beautifully. Their body is blue, with a darker back and evenly scattered dark spots. The chest and paired fins are red, the caudal fin is black with a wide blue vertical stripe. This coloring in common piranha is up to 7-8 months. Growing up, fish change colors. After the length of the body exceeds 8 cm, it becomes gray-silver, the sides turn pink, the spots on them fade and disappear, small golden sparkles appear. The anal fin brightens, and with the onset of the mating season it becomes red. Adult piranhas, depending on their mood and condition, are either black with a slight bluish tint and with gold sparkles, or plain black with a red bottom (during the mating season).

The teeth of the common piranha are like a saw, with which they can cut pieces of meat from the victim's body. The lower teeth are larger, the upper ones are smaller. Females are slightly larger and thicker than males. In addition, they can be distinguished by other features. The keel of the abdomen of the male in front looks like a Latin letter V, and in females it looks like a U. The shape of the anal fin of the male is pointed, while that of the female is rounded.

Common piranhas are found in the rivers of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Guyana.

Red pacu (red-breasted pacu, two-toothed colossus) (lat.Piaractus brachypomus, syn.colossoma bidens) - herbivorous (herbivore) species native to Brazil.

The body length of aquarium fish does not exceed 45 cm, although in nature the pacu grows up to 88 cm. The fish has a bluish-gray body color with silvery scales, a red chest and lower fins. The dorsal fin is elongated, the anal fin is serrated. The edge of the tail has a black frame. Juveniles have dark spots on the sides.

diamond piranha(lat.Serrasalmus rhombeus) got its name from the shape of the body. It is sometimes also given the name "black piranha" or "black Brazilian piranha". In addition, this fish is also called the Caribbean red eye - "Caribe ojo rojo".

In length, it reaches 38 cm (according to other sources, 41.5 cm). Most often, the diamond-shaped piranha is colored silver with a greenish or bluish tint, and a stripe runs along the edge of the tail.

Homeland fish - Guyana, Amazon, La Plata.

has an elongated body no more than 25-30 cm in size. The color of the fish is silver-gray, the abdomen is reddish, the anal fin is dark, and there is a dark border on the tail.

The slender piranha lives in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

Dwarf piranha (lat.Serrasalmus hollandi) named for its small size. The length of her body reaches a maximum of 15 cm. But, despite this, she is dangerous predator. The color of the fish is silvery with dark spots. The anal fin is red, with a black border at the end of the tail.

The body and head are elongated. There is a hump at the back of the head.

Brown pacu (lat.Colossoma macropomum)- a large fish, about 70 cm in length, can reach 108 cm. The body is painted in brown, gray and black colors and their variations. The teeth of the brown pacu are square, similar to human teeth.

The fish loves loneliness: schooling in the brown pacu is less pronounced than in other piranhas.

Reproduction (spawning) of piranhas

Piranhas become sexually mature after one and a half years. At this time, their gender is quite distinguishable. Spawning is seasonal and paired. Maturing pairs lead long pre-spawning games. The color of excited piranhas changes at this time: for example, Natterer piranhas become black with a bright red bottom.

The couple has a certain area, which she fiercely protects from aliens. At dawn, with the first rays of the sun, females spawn on washed tree roots, floating aquatic plants or on the ground. Immediately after this, the piranha eggs are fertilized. Males guard the clutches. Optimum temperature for the production of offspring is 26-28 ° C.

The eggs are 2 to 4 mm in size. The color of caviar can vary from transparent amber to yellowish green. The number of spawned eggs varies from 500 to 15,000 pieces (depending on the type of fish). The incubation period is 2-15 days (also depending on the type of fish and water temperature), after which the larvae hatch from the eggs.

Piranhas are very beautiful and spectacular fish that can decorate any aquarium. They are quite unpretentious. In predatory species, aggression in an aquarium is much less pronounced than in the wild: here individuals are in small numbers and have enough food. Small flocks of piranhas in an aquarium are shy, nervous, dislike bright lights and do well when the surface of the water is covered. aquatic plants. Here are the basic rules for keeping aquarium piranhas:

Aquarium size

Since the size of the fish is rather big, they need long and large aquariums - about 200-500 liters or more in volume. Young fish in the amount of 5-8 pieces up to a year can be kept in an aquarium of 100-120 liters. After a year, the volume must be increased to a minimum of 200 liters.

Vegetation and shelter

The aquarium should contain bushy vegetation, snags and stones in which the fish can hide. Plants can be both living and artificial.

Optimal parameters

for metinnis and milossoms - temperature from 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, dKH< 1°, dGH до 5°, pH 6,5 … 7,0;
for colossoms - temperature from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius, dKH< 2°, dGH до 14°, pH 6,0 … 7,2;
for fish from the genus piranha - temperature from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius, dKH< 2°, dGH до 14°, pH 6,2 … 7,2.

Water filtration

Piranhas love clean water. If you do not change it for a long time, predatory species rage and attack each other. Regular filtration, air purging or aeration, partial water replacement and soil cleaning with a siphon are necessary.

reproduction

For breeding piranhas, an aquarium of 200-350 liters is suitable, in which ¼ of the volume of water should be changed daily and the temperature maintained at 24-28 ° C. AT vivo piranhas spawn in rivers with running water, so in an artificial pond you need to install a filter that purifies the water and creates a current. A layer of pebbles at the bottom should be at least 5 cm thick. Some species lay eggs on vegetation, others on the ground, and still others in spawning holes in the ground.

A new aquarium is not necessary for breeding: you can also use the one where the fish live on permanent conditions, but at the same time you need to resettle their neighbors. After the female spawns, she is deposited. When the fry begin to grow up, they are sorted by size and also transplanted, otherwise they will eat each other. Transplanting and catching piranhas should be done very carefully: fish sometimes jump out of the aquarium, and predatory individuals can even bite you.

What to feed piranhas?

Feeding predatory piranhas

Young predatory piranhas can be fed with regular live aquarium fish food. Adult predators eat meat, fish, seafood.

Fish

Fish is the best and natural food for piranhas. river fish it is undesirable to give, since various harmful organisms can be brought into the aquarium with it. Usually piranhas are fed live, inexpensive, small aquarium fish: swordsmen, guppies, goldfish. If the fish are very small, piranhas may not eat them immediately, but wait until the prey grows up. They also eat dead fish with pleasure, for example, capelin. If the fish is longer than 10 cm, it must be cut: separate the head, gut, remove fat.

Seafood

They feed homemade piranhas and seafood: squid meat, shrimp.

Meat

Spare food is meat: beef, heart, poultry. In the aquarium, piranhas clearly indicate food preferences: they pounce on some types of meat instantly, others eat reluctantly, and others do not eat at all. It is impossible to feed piranhas with meat, as this leads to obesity and, as a result, to infertility. Periodically, you need to arrange fasting days or create a large flow of water in the aquarium. But pets should not be underfed, otherwise they become aggressive and can injure or even eat each other.

By the way piranhas eat, you can determine their condition. If they are not active, do not fight for food, do not tear prey, then they do not feel the best, and they are not satisfied with the conditions of detention. In this case, you need to change the water or its temperature and aeration mode, or look for other reasons.

Feeding herbivorous piranhas

Herbivorous species (Metinnis, Miley) are fed cabbage, lettuce, nettles, spinach, chopped or pureed vegetables (such as cucumbers and squash). Sometimes the diet is diluted with live bloodworms or tubifex, which should not exceed 20% of total food. Leftover food is removed from the aquarium so that it does not pollute the water.

Piranha compatibility in an aquarium

Piranhas Leading predatory image life, practically do not get along with other types of fish in the aquarium. Under adverse conditions, they attack even relatives. Some individuals can swim in a flock of predators for months, but then unexpectedly, probably by making some kind of erroneous movement, they are instantly attacked, and from all sides at once. Just as lightning fast, a flock pounces on fish that are stuck in plants or stones and begin to fight. Sick and injured piranha fish are identified and eaten instantly.

But there are types of fish that piranhas do not attack. For example, some South American catfish from the genus Hoplosternum quite peacefully coexist with predators. These catfish periodically swim up to piranhas and remove something from the sides: probably pests that interfere with the life of piranhas. Obviously, between these genera in nature there is a mutually beneficial relationship.

Taken from the site: aquapiter.com

Aquarium piranhas, names and photos

In aquariums, Metinnis and Miley are quite often bred - quite peaceful fish from the piranha family. In nature, they feed on aquatic plants, fruits, and small molluscs. Metinnis have a body length of about 15 cm and a silvery color. Species differ in shades of flowers and the presence of spots.

Metinnis silver (silver fish-dollar) (lat. Metynnis argenteus)

This is a relatively small fish, which has a body length of 10 to 14 cm. The color of the metinnis is silver-gray, dark warts are scattered over the body. The anal fin of the male is veiled, while that of the female is straight and reddish.

The homeland of fish is the rivers of the Orinoco and Amazon basins.

Taken from: www.bidorbuy.co.za

Metinnis spotted (spotted dollar fish) (lat.Metynnis maculatus)

Reaches 12-15 cm in length and has spots on the sides.

The Metinnis fish comes from the Guapore River, which belongs to the Amazon River basin.

Taken from the site: fishmarket.org.ua

Metinnis vulgaris ( he is Metinnis Schreimüller, mirror fish) (lat. Metynnis hypsauchen)

This is a 15 cm silver fish with a white belly and transparent fins. The back of the metinnis can have different shades: grayish-blue, brown or green. The scales have a blue, yellow or greenish tint. The end of the anal fin is red. The body of the fish is high and rounded, strongly flattened laterally. There may be black transverse stripes and spots on the sides.

In nature, metinnis common lives in the Amazon and Paraguay rivers.

It is found in the rivers of Guyana, Suriname and the Amazon.

Dimensions 10-25 cm, grows up to 15 cm in the aquarium. The fish has a silver-gray body color and a reddish anal fin. There are individuals with a reddish belly and red-gold spots on the body. The anal fin of the male has a long outer plait and a notch.

The value of piranhas in nature

Herbivorous species of the piranha family, such as metinnis, are of great benefit, clearing water bodies of vegetation. Predatory piranhas regulate the number of populations, destroying the sick and weak inhabitants of the rivers.

In some rivers of Brazil, people tried to poison these fish with poison. As a result, the piranhas did not suffer, and only other inhabitants of the reservoirs were harmed.

All piranhas are quite edible. They are an object of fishing for the Indians living along the reservoirs in which this fish is found.

Robert Schomburgk, a German explorer who served the British crown, explored the territories of South America and made some discoveries. According to his testimonies, piranhas, which he called river hyenas, are the most bloodthirsty, ferocious and terrible predators. They eat an animal of any size that tries to swim across the river. Jaguars are afraid of them. In order to get drunk, the jaguar beats the water with its paw, and when a flock of piranhas rushes to this place, it jumps back and drinks water already a few meters from the fish that have arranged a quarrel and tearing each other. So do horses, dogs and other animals.
The natives of the Amazon collect the jaws and teeth of predators, using them as knives or scissors.
The Indians of some tribes, where it is customary to keep the skeletons of deceased relatives, lower the corpse for a while into the river, wrapping it in a net. They take out a completely gnawed skeleton.
Despite their creepy reputation, piranhas themselves fall prey to caimans, river dolphins, large water turtles, larger fish, and humans.
live in the rivers of Africa tiger fish, which belong to the same order as piranhas. The sharp teeth of tigerfish can also inflict deep wounds on a bathing person.

large-scale "piranha"

Alternative descriptions

imperialist fish

large predatory sea fish

Mako, sea predator

Maritime predatory fish sometimes dangerous to humans

Naval fighter

Sea predator with a feather

The owner of the most powerful jaws

floating meat grinder

The gill fish, the owner of the "jaws", frightened millions of moviegoers

Fish of any stage of capitalism

Fish depicted on the state symbols of the Solomon Islands

Fishy status of Carcharodon

Sawnosed...

Predator attacking surfers

Film by Igor Gostev "Black..."

Animal on the state symbols of the Solomon Islands

Feather fish

Files were first made from the skin of this particular animal, which polished wood and even marble.

underwater wolf

The biggest fish

The owner of the "jaws", who scared millions of moviegoers

The black nickname of the helicopter "Ka-50"

Hammer and saw, but no tools

sea ogre

Doodle

A fish that doesn't have a swim bladder

sea critter

Fish reflecting the essence of imperialism

Waterfowl meat grinder

Predatory fish of capitalism

whale and tiger

Her Tanya and Vanya are bricks!

. "jaws", fish

Very old fish

Karakul near Chukovsky

Predator in the ocean

. "predator" of capitalism

Everyone is afraid of this fish

predatory fish

Marine predatory fish

The heroine of the horror movie "Jaws"

tiger predator

underwater hammer

Gray, whale or cat

man-eating fish

Katran like a fish

And a hammer and a saw, but not a tool

Storm of the seas with a valuable fin

. "piranha" in especially large sizes

Aquarium inhabitant

Megalodon

In the Nile, a crocodile is terrible, but in the sea?

Hammer, but not a sledgehammer, but a fish

The owner of the "jaws"

Babysitter or brownie

Sea predator with 3 rows of teeth

Swordfish and hammerhead fish

fish queen

Tiger or reef

Both the swordfish and the hammerhead

Sea predator with three rows of teeth

Oksana Pochepa on stage

hammerhead fish

Predator with a valuable fin

Film by T. Tazaka (1964)

Predator from the horror movie "Jaws"

Monster from the movie "Jaws"

Thunderstorm of the seas and oceans

toothy nurse fish

Plate gill marine predator

Journalist - ... pen

Hammer in the ocean

The heroine of the movie "Jaws"

Whose rotten meat is taken to cook Icelandic national dish hackarl?

Katran with spikes

Fish that eat people

. "hammer" with fins

The only fish that can blink both eyes at the same time?

Megalodon in essence

To be afraid of her - do not go to the sea

Tiger sea fish

Sea fish

Whale...

Large marine predatory fish

Fish depicted on the state symbols of the Solomon Islands

Predatory fish with delicious fins

Large predatory sea fish

. "Hammer" with fins

. "Piranha" in extra large sizes

. "predator" of capitalism

. "jaws", fish

The crocodile is terrible in the Nile, and in the sea

The heroine of the horror movie "Jaws"

The heroine of the movie "Jaws"

The only fish that can blink both eyes at the same time

Her Tanya and Vanya brick

J. iceland. marine predatory fish Squalus of different species: mokoi, sea ogre, sea dog; sharka, White Sea species: nocturnus, near Cola, Squalus Acanthias. Hungerier than a shark. you shark mouth. Akulin, a famous shark belonging to

Large marine predatory fish

Large scale "piranha"

Monster from the movie "Jaws"

Sea fish - "meat grinder"

sea predator

The owner of the "jaws"

The owner of the "jaws", who scared millions of moviegoers

Elastogill fish, the owner of the "jaws", frightened millions of moviegoers

Film by Igor Gostev "Black..."

Predatory sea fish

Predator from the horror movie "Jaws"

The black nickname of the helicopter "Ka-50"

Whose rotten meat is used to prepare the Icelandic national dish hakarl

Piranha common refers to the species of predatory ray-finned fish. For the first time it became known in the middle of the XIX century. In nature, there are about 30 species of these fish, 4 of which may pose a potential threat to humans.

The length of an adult varies from 20 to 30 cm. However, there have been cases where by description eyewitnesses piranha reached a length of 80 cm. It was the largest representative of its kind.

The coloration of females and males is different. In nature, male piranhas are blue-black or green in color, with a silvery sheen. The females of this species of fish have purple scales.

With age, the color becomes darker. piranha fish differ in the specific structure of the jaw. Closed teeth resemble a zipper. This structure helps them successfully hunt fairly large prey.

Pictured is a piranha fish

To the most famous piranha species include characin-like fish, black pacu ( herbivorous fish), moon and common metinnis, slender, dwarf, flag piranha, red-finned miley.

Scientists classify piranhas and pacu as representatives of the “toothed salmon” family, which are distinguished by the presence of a notched keel. Otherwise, especially in nutrition and the structure of the jaw, they are very different.

Features and habitat of piranha

You can meet piranhas in the waters of South America: in Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador. Amazon, Orinoco, Parana - the most popular river places, where does the piranha live.

Pictured piranha pacu fish

They love fresh warm water rich in oxygen, calm flow and abundance of vegetation. Sometimes they can be found in sea water. During this period, females are not capable of spawning. Several species of fish can coexist in the same area.

The nature and lifestyle of piranha fish

About piranha fish there are many myths. piranha called killer fish and monsters due to their aggressiveness. The "quarrelsome" nature of fish can be seen by observing how they behave in a flock.

Often you can see that the fin is missing, or there are scars on the body. Piranhas can attack not only representatives of another species of the animal world, but also their "brothers". There are even cases of cannibalism. Basically, piranhas choose rivers where a lot of fish swim, because food for them is the main thing in life.

In a flock of piranhas, cases of "cannibalism" sometimes occur.

Piranhas mostly swim in small groups of 25-30 individuals. Some flocks can reach about a thousand representatives of this species. Herding is not inherent in them due to the desire to kill. On the contrary, it is a protective mechanism, since there are animals in nature for which piranhas are food. For example, caimans, some species,.

The diet of piranhas is extremely diverse. It includes:

amphibians;
invertebrates;
plants;
weak or sick individuals;
animals of large sizes (, buffaloes).

Aggression of fish increases in connection with the beginning of spawning. During the rainy season - end of January - best time for procreation. Before breeding begins, males make a hole in the bottom, blowing out the silt. In such a "shelter" you can put about a thousand eggs.

Males protect offspring, provide them with oxygen due to intense movements. Sometimes, to preserve offspring, eggs are attached to the leaves or stems of algae. The larvae appear after 40 hours.

Until that time, they eat stocks of the gall sac. As soon as the fry can get their own food, the parents stop patronizing them. A sexually mature piranha is considered when it grows up to 15-18 cm. Piranhas are tender, caring parents. Older individuals behave quietly. They do not attack the victim, but prefer to sit out in algae or behind a snag.

Despite the opinion that piranhas are killer fish, it must be said that they can experience shock from fright. If frightened, she may “faint”: the scales of the individual turn pale, and the piranha sinks sideways to the bottom. But after she wakes up, the piranha will rush to defend itself.

Piranha fish are dangerous for a person. No cases of eating a person have been recorded, but the bites of these fish can be severely affected. piranha fish bite painful, wounds become inflamed for a long time and do not heal. Approximately 70 people a year are bitten by piranhas.

Piranha is a predatory fish. The biggest danger is her jaws. Scientists conducted an experiment. Several dozen individuals were caught from the Amazon. In the aquarium where they were, dynamometers were lowered one by one.

As a result, it turned out that the bite can reach three hundred and twenty newtons. It turned out that piranhas have the most powerful jaws of all currently existing representatives of the fauna. Numerous photo of piranha fish demonstrate the degree of danger from meeting with this predator.

Piranha food

The most important thing is to give food in doses. It may seem that the fish are hungry. Actually it is not. Piranhas have a constant desire to eat.
The water in the aquarium should be clean, so you need to clean up leftover food after each feeding. Polluted fish can get sick.
2 minutes is the optimal time for individuals to eat.
In order for piranhas to be healthy and feel good, you need to diversify your diet as much as possible. It is useful to feed the fish with shrimp, tadpoles, frozen fish fillet, finely chopped beef meat.
There is a product that should not be given to your pets - freshwater fish. In general, you can’t feed piranhas with one meat.
Young individuals can be fed with bloodworms, tubifex, worms, and then gradually transferred to an adult diet.

Reproduction and lifespan of piranha

During the breeding season, the female turns upside down. About 3000 eggs can be born at a time. The average size of one egg is one and a half millimeters.

If breeding takes place in an aquarium, you need to remember that in the first days after the birth of the offspring, the fish are very aggressive, so you should not put your hands into the aquarium or try to touch the fish. Parents need to be separated from offspring. To do this, it is better to use a net with a long handle. Their living conditions should be similar. If you want to breed piranhas at home, you should buy a spawning tank for this.

For one pair of producers, about 200 liters of water are needed. Water should be warm - 26-28 degrees. In such a period, instead of pebbles, it is better to pour soil and remove all plants. On the eve of spawning, it is recommended to feed the fish intensively. Professional aquarists breed piranhas with the help of special hormonal preparations. In home conditions, piranhas can live up to 10 years.