Most
Ferocious...
PIRANHA
Pygocentrus
nattereri
From
the moment tiny baby piranhas hatch from their microscopic eggs, they
come into the world armed and dangerous. Baby piranha will feast on
tiny crustaceans, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants. Once they reach
about 1.5 inches in length they begin feeding on the fins and flesh
of other fish that wander too closely. As they grow larger they begin
to venture out in groups (shoals) of about 20 fish where they use a
variety of hunting strategies to kill and eat their prey. Heck, they
don't kill their prey first, they just start eating the victim alive
- that's what makes them so ferocious. Adult piranha have been known
to eat their own babies. Talk about brutal!
When a
school of piranha are in a feeding frenzy the water appears to boil
and churn red with blood. They attack with such ferocity that they strip
an animal of its flesh within a matter of minutes, even taking bites
out of each other in the process.
There are approximately 20 species
of piranha found living in the Amazon River, with only four or five
of them posing any danger. Most piranha species are quite harmless and
docile, but the ones with the nasty reputation for aggressive behavior
are the red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus
nattereri.
Adult
piranha will eat just about anything - other fish, sick and weakened
cattle, even parts of people. Sickly cattle that have stooped their
heads down to drink from the river have been grabbed by the mouth and
nose and pulled into the water, completely devoured minutes later. As
wicked as it all sounds, piranha have a useful function in the Amazonian
jungles just like any other predators in the wild. They are part of
the checks and balances Mother Nature employs to eliminate the weak
and sick so only the strong survive.
Read more about the
Deadliest Creature | Biggest
Fish | Biggest Freshwater
Fish
Razor Sharp Teeth
Piranhas
are world-famous for their razor-sharp teeth. Native peoples of South
America will catch the piranha and use their teeth to make tools and
weapons. Even the fisherman who catch these vicious little predators
have to be careful when the fish is out of water. A single piranha out
of water is still dangerous enough to take off the flesh, or the odd
toe, from an unwary fisherman.
Predator Becomes
Prey
As ferocious
and fearsome as the piranhas are, they are not invulnerable. As young
the piranhas are a tasty part of many other creatures' diet. As voracious
adults the piranha feed on young herons that fall from the trees while
learning to fly, or young caimans (a type of small alligator) that are
too little to defend themselves. When
the floodplains of the Amazon run dry during the dry season the piranha
are stranded in isolated lagoons, where they languish and die from lack
of oxygen. The adult herons will then feed on the piranha that once
ate their young. Caimans will feast on the piranhas that ate their young
kin, as they lay dying in their shrinking pools. Such is the circle
of life.
Pet
Piranhas?
Believe
it or not, there are people who actually keep piranhas as "pets". Piranhas
aren't good pets in the traditional sense because you can't hold or
pet them, and they aren't affectionate. Piranha owners still must be
extremely careful of the fish's sharp teeth and aggressive nature. Keeping
them well fed is probably the key to keeping them mellow.
People
who fancy piranhas as pets may be more attracted to the grisly
reputation and aggressive manner of these world-class predators, perhaps
keeping them for their "entertainment" value. That's O.K. - it's human
nature to be fascinated with morbid and gruesome creatures. But piranhas
are also very beautiful fish. As long as anyone desires to take a creature
out of the wild and bring into captivity they must take the responsibility
of treating it with respect and good care.
