Overview
The stocky body is oval in shape with a blunt head, protruding lower jaw and single rows of very sharp, triangular teeth in each jaw. Teeth are replaced on alternating sides of the jaw, allowing continuous feeding. With its brilliant red belly, the red piranha is the considered to be the most beautiful of the piranha species.
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Actinopterygii
- Order
- Cypriniformes
- Family
- Characidae
- Genus
- Pygocentrus
- Species
- nattereri
Habitat
The Red Piranha, hails from South America; the Amazon Basin, Paraguay Parana Basin, Northeast Brazilian coastal rivers, Essequibo Basin. It also has been introduced to reservoirs. It is common in creeks and interconnected ponds in Matto Grosso, Brazil and in Rio Machado and Rio Negro.
Diet
Red-bellied piranhas primarily consume fish, insects, crustaceans, and occasionally plant matter or small vertebrates. They are opportunistic predators and scavengers, often feeding in schools to overwhelm prey, with peak activity during the day in shallow waters. Their feeding behavior includes rapid attacks using their sharp teeth to tear flesh.
Behavior
They swim in large schools, making this carnivorous species a formidable hunting group. The large schools can be a nuisance to sport fishermen, requiring them to make a move or catch only piranha.
Fishing
This extremely aggressive species is relatively easily caught on natural or artificial baits. It will enthusiastically attack plugs as large or larger than itself. Even small fish should be handled with respect. Piranhas tend to snap their jaws defensively and careless handling can result in serious injury. All piranha are considered good table fare. In some regions they are highly sought as food
Conservation Status
Listed as Not Evaluated by IUCN.