Danger piranha fish9/12/2023 ![]() ![]() Many states prohibit people from owning piranhas as pets, including Massachusetts.Notorious for their sharp teeth and voracious appetites, piranhas inhabit several of the major river basins in South America. Piranhas are abundant in their habitat and are not listed as endangered. After two or three days, the eggs hatch and the baby piranhas hide among the plants until they are big enough to defend themselves. The male fertilizes the eggs and then stays to guard and tend to them, like the male clownfish. The male builds a nest shaped like a bowl near some aquatic plants where the female deposits thousands of eggs. Red-bellied piranha pairs begin their courtship by swimming in circles. To do this, they use their swimbladder, an organ most fish have that helps them float in water. They may bark, grunt or make thudding or drumming sounds. Piranhas can make different sounds, especially when they’re feeling afraid or defensive. How do piranhas communicate with each other? In captivity, piranhas can live 10-20 years. More commonly, they grow to between 6-8 inches and weigh about 3 pounds. Given time, food, and space to grow, red-bellied piranhas can reach over 15 inches long and weigh up to 7 pounds. A staple food for indigenous people in the Amazon, piranhas are more likely to be eaten by people than the other way around. Red-bellied piranhas are the most aggressive and have been known to bite humans in the dry season, when food may be scarce, but these attacks are usually not fatal. While piranhas have a reputation for being ferocious man-eaters, they rarely attack and hardly ever kill humans. If one of the piranha in pack is weak or sick, the others will eat it. At Berkshire Museum, they eat worms and frozen fish called smelt. Red bellied piranhas are known to be carnivorous and hunt in packs. These fish help maintain healthy ecosystems as both predators and scavengers. Some are omnivorous, eating plants and seeds as well as meat, and one species in Brazil is reported to only eat river weeds. Piranhas eat smaller fish and nips of other fish’s tails, bugs and worms, crustaceans and carrion (dead meat). While they regularly lose teeth individually, they regrow them in quarters, so you may see a piranha with a whole section of missing teeth. It’s a pretty accurate description.Īdult piranhas have a single row of triangular blade-like interlocking teeth that are needle sharp. The word piranha comes from a word meaning “tooth fish” in the now-extinct language once spoken by the Tupi people of Brazil. Piranhas spend most of their day hiding and looking for food. Swimming together helps keep the fish safe from predators, including larger fish, crocodiles, birds and mammals like jaguars and humans. Usually a shoal has about 20 individuals but sometimes can have over 100. Piranhas live in groups called schools or shoals. Read about the lionfish to see how this human behavior can cause big problems for underwater ecosystems. These animals are abandoned pets who have been dumped in unfamiliar waterways by irresponsible owners. Occasionally piranhas have been discovered in freshwater as far away as Europe and China. Modern piranhas have lived in the region for about 1.8 million years and fossils suggest their ancestors may have inhabited the continent 25 million years ago. There are about 30 species of piranhas that all live in the lakes and rivers of South America’s Amazon River basin, where they are indigenous. Public domain image Where do piranhas live?
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