Everything about Piranha totally explained
A
Piranha or
piraña (or /pɨˈrænə/) is a member of a family of
omnivorous freshwater fish which live in
South American rivers. In
Venezuelan rivers they're called
caribes. They are known for their sharp
teeth and an aggressive appetite for
meat. However, despite the negative Hollywood publicity piranhas are not generally violent, and have been known to be domesticated in home and office fish tanks.
Etymology
The name
piranha may come from a hybrid
language composed of
Tupi-Guarani languages; it may be a compound word made of the components
pirá, meaning 'fish', and
sanha or
ranha, meaning '
tooth'. In Tupi,
inalienably possessed nouns take the prefix
t-,
s-, or
r- depending on the possessor, or zero in combination; thus
pirá +
anha. Alternatively, it may come from
Tupi pirá (fish) and
ánha (devil).
Taxonomy
Piranhas belong to the
family of
Serrasalmidae (though some scientists still classify them in the family Characidae which also includes closely related herbivorous fish including
pacus). Traditionally, only the four genera
Pristobrycon,
Pygocentrus,
Pygopristis, and
Serrasalmus are considered to be true piranhas, due to their specialized teeth. However, a recent analysis showed that, if the piranha group is to be
monophyletic, it should be restricted to
Serrasalmus,
Pygocentrus, and part of
Pristobrycon, or expanded to include these taxa plus
Pygopristis,
Catoprion, and
Pristobrycon striolatus.
Pygopristis was found to be more closely related to
Catoprion than the other three piranha genera. Recently a piranha was caught by a fisherman in the
Catawba River in
North Carolina. This is the first known case in North Carolina and possibly in the region. Piranha have also been discovered in the
Kaptai Lake in South-East
Bangladesh. Research is being carried out to establish how piranha have moved to such distant corners of the world from their original habitat. It is anticipated that rogue exotic fish traders have released them in the lake to avoid being caught by anti-poaching forces.
Description
Piranhas are normally about 15 to 25
cm long (6 to 10
inches), although reportedly individuals have been found up to 41
cm (24 inches) in length.
Serrasalmus,
Pristobrycon,
Pygocentrus, and
Pygopristis are most easily recognized by their unique dentition. All piranhas have a single row of sharp teeth in both jaws; the teeth are tightly packed and interlocking (via small
cusps) and used for rapid puncture and shearing. Individual teeth are typically broadly triangular, pointed, and blade-like (flat in profile). There is minor variation in the number of cusps; in most species the teeth are tricuspid with a larger middle cusp that makes the individual teeth appear markedly triangular. The exception is
Pygopristis, which has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp that's usually only slightly larger than the other cusps. In the scale-eating
Catoprion, the shape of their teeth is markedly different and the
premaxillary teeth are in two rows, as in most other serrasalmines.
Research on the species
Serrasalmus aff. brandtii and
Pygocentrus nattereri in Viana Lake, which is formed during the wet season when the
Rio Pindare (a tributary of the Rio Mearim) floods, has shown that these species eat vegetable matter at some stages in their life; they're not strictly carnivorous fish.
Relationship to humans
Locals often use piranha teeth to make tools and weapons. Piranha are also a popular food, though if an individual is caught on a hook or line it may be attacked by other piranhas.
Piranha are commonly consumed by subsistence fishermen and often sold for food in local markets. The most common piranha is the
Pygocentrus nattereri, or the red-bellied piranha. Piranhas can be bought fully grown or as babies, often no bigger than a thumbnail. It is important to keep
Pygocentrus piranhas alone or in groups of three or more, not in pairs, since aggression among them is common and is distributed more widely when kept in larger groups, allowing the weaker fish to survive. When kept in groups, it's recommended that they're in even-numbered groups, as piranhas will gang up on an odd member. It isn't rare to find individuals with one eye missing due to a previous attack. The preferred feeds are thawed shrimp, fillets of white fish, and disease free feeders, but any fish-based foods are adequate. The young are to be fed very little, as overfeeding can kill them. Blood worms, or insect larvae are a good choice of food, as they're full of protein. If underfed, piranhas are likely to become cannibalistic on others in their group. They eat more as they grow older and larger. In order to provide a balanced diet, it's usually necessary to change types of food often.
Feeder goldfish are a popular choice for feeding piranhas, although they contain a
vitamin B inhibitor that may stunt growth and shorten the fish's life span. It is recommended to feed them with feeder goldfish as a treat, once in a while, rather than basing their diet only on that. Piranhas prefer a darker environment with a lot of plant cover, as they become agitated when denied appropriate cover. It isn't advisable to leave the light on constantly, for with too much light, they may lose the desire to eat.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Piranha'.
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