Piranha: The Most Feared And Unpredictable Fish

With its deadly, sharp teeth, strong body and insatiable appetite, the piranha is one of the most feared fish in the world. In this article we will talk about the “monster” that can devour a large mammal in minutes.

Piranha: main features

It is a carnivorous and omnivorous fish that lives in fresh water , particularly in the rivers of South America. such as the Amazon River, the Orinoco and Paraguay. They can measure 15 to 25 centimeters, although there are specimens over 35 centimeters long.

Its sharp teeth and prominent jaw are the main physical characteristics of the piranha. This fish is attracted by the smell of blood and can devour flesh and bone in the blink of an eye.

Most attacks on humans have been documented in the Amazon Rainforest and the most dangerous species is the Red Piranha ( Pygocentrus nattereri ), which has a keen sense of smell and detects blood from miles away.

5 most famous piranha species

Within the piranha family, we find the genus Pygocentrus, which includes some of the most ‘famous’ species and Serrasalminae , which has the particularity of enclosing the largest number of subspecies of this fearsome and fascinating marine animal. A third prominent genus is that of Pristobrycon . Let’s see, below, the types of piranhas that most often come into contact with humans:

1. Piranha of the Orinoco

Its scientific name is ( Pygocentrus cariba ) and it is visible in the image that opens this article. It lives in the basin of the homonymous river, in South America, between Colombia and Venezuela. This freshwater and tropical climate fish has a dull gray body, with a black dot under the caps and a red or orange belly.

Females are larger than males. They can measure around 35 centimeters and weigh a kilo. The mouth of this piranha is made up of very sharp teeth, up to nine millimeters long. Its aggressive nature is particularly well known. If he feels threatened or cornered, he attacks by biting wildly.

2. Red Piranha

This species, whose scientific name is Pygocentrus nattereri , prefers fresh and tropical waters, between 23 and 27 degrees of temperature, and acid PH. This is why it can be found in the basins of the Amazon, Paraná, Paraguay, Uruguay and Essequibo rivers in South America.

Males can measure around 33 centimeters and weigh over three pounds. They are silver in color with black spots on the back. They take on the characteristic belly, of deep red hue, when they grow up. The prominent jaw and terminal teeth give it a dark appearance, as does the movement it makes in the water, as if it were an eel or a snake.

3. Piranha of San Francisco

This piranha, whose scientific name is Pygocentrus Piraya , lives in the San Francisco River Basin ,  Brazil, from which it takes its name. It prefers fresh waters and a tropical climate. Males can reach 40 centimeters in length and up to 3 kilos in weight. They have dark skin, with a close to greenish hue, with a yellow belly and light spots on both sides of the body.

4. Black Piranha

As the name suggests, the black piranha has a dark body, but sometimes features shades of gray with lighter undertones on the abdomen, head, and fins. It has a rhomboid shape , with a flattened snout, highly developed teeth and intense red irises. Arguably, it is the scariest looking species.

It inhabits the rivers of clear waters, flooded forests, savannas and estuaries of Venezuela. It is a very territorial and predatory fish, it loves to consume insect larvae, crustaceans and other small fish of its habitat .

5. Iridescent Piranha

We close this short review dedicated to the most famous piranhas, talking about  Serrasalmus irritans . Like the previous one, this one also lives in the rivers of Venezuela. It loves to feed and hunt in the clear waters of the Orinoco basin, mainly in flooded forests, in the waterways of the savannahs and estuaries.

It has an elongated, silvery rhomboid body, with yellow spots on the sides. Its head is small and houses two yellow eyes, a prominent jaw, and it has a red anal fin. It mostly consumes small fish, larvae, insects and crustaceans.