📷 Nevit Dilmen · CC BY-SA 3.0
📷 Nevit Dilmen
📷 User:Sarefo
IUCN: Least Concern
Red-Bellied Piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri
KingdomAnimalia›PhylumChordata›ClassActinopterygii›OrderCharaciformes›FamilySerrasalmidae›GenusPygocentrus
About
Red-bellied piranhas are schooling fish of South American rivers, famous for their sharp teeth and feeding frenzies — myths that exaggerate their danger to people. They actually scavenge and hunt mostly small fish, and schools provide defence against predators such as caimans, river dolphins, and cormorants. During the flooded season they spawn among vegetation, and their jaws deliver a bite with considerable force for their size.
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Rivers, floodplain lakes, and streams of the Amazon and Paraná basins
🍃Diet Carnivore and scavenger — fish, insects, crustaceans, seeds, and carrion
📏Size & Weight Body 30–35 cm
•weight Up to 3 kg
⏳Lifespan Up to 10 years
🗺Range Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná river basins; introduced elsewhere in South America and beyond
FishPiranha
Key Facts
⛰Habitat Rivers, floodplain lakes, and streams of the Amazon and Paraná basins
🍃Diet Carnivore and scavenger — fish, insects, crustaceans, seeds, and carrion
📏Size & Weight Body 30–35 cm
•weight Up to 3 kg
⏳Lifespan Up to 10 years
🗺Range Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraná river basins; introduced elsewhere in South America and beyond
Photo Credits
#1Nevit Dilmen · CC BY-SA 3.0
#2Nevit Dilmen · CC BY-SA 3.0
#3User:Sarefo · CC BY-SA 3.0
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