Red Piranha

Pygocentrus nattereri
Roter Piranha

Classification: serrasalmids
Distribution: South America
Habitat: rivers, lagoons
Size: up to 30 cm
Weight: up to 3 kg
Clutch size: up to 4000 eggs
Incubation: 3 – 4 days
Diet: fish, insects, crabs, carcass

Piranha has a widespread reputation as a dangerous carnivore. Actually, it is more a scavanger und forager. They mainly feed on weak, injured or dying animals and in this way function as a kind of “health police”. With their razor-shaped teeth they tear parts out of their prey.

More aggressive behavior occurs when waterbodies shrink and the piranhas have to get along with less food. According to new research living in shoals is more a defense behavior than a hunting strategy. Piranhas themselves are predated by caimans and arapaimas (large bony fish).