Red-bellied Piranha
TAXONOMY
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Characiformes (Characins)
Family: Characidae (Characins)
Genus/species: Pygocentrus nattereri
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Length to 33 cm (13 inches). Weight to 3.8 kg (8 pounds). Laterally compressed. Primarily dark scales with silvery glitter highlights. Chin and belly reddish.
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Amazon, Paraguay-Paraná and Essequibo basins. Found in freshwater creeks and interconnected pools.
DIET: Prey primarily on wounded and diseased fish. Feed communally in groups of 20–30 individuals who wait in vegetation for the opportunity to ambush prey. Once prey is attacked a feeding frenzy ensues. Adults forage at dusk and dawn; medium-sized fish most
active at dawn, late afternoon and at night; small fish feed by day. Also scavenge on waste (Easy Being Green Manual 2011 Page 28) dumped into rivers from slaughterhouses. Former CAS Steinhart Aquarium director Earl Herald used to feed piranhas the hearts of horses!
REPRODUCTION: Spawn after an elaborate courtship ritual where the mating pair swims in circles. Female deposits layers of eggs on aquatic plants; male fertilizes. Male defends and turns eggs. Masses hatch in 9–10 days.
PREDATORS: Preyed upon by other fishes including large catfishes, crocodilians, birds and larger mammals including jaguar.
REMARKS: The piranha’s reputation as a voraciously attacking humans is highly exaggerated. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. Stories of cows and humans striped clean of flesh may be true, but the “meal” in question was not alive when the attack took place. Even so, piranha’s can inflict a serious wound. Jaw muscles are incredibly strong, and the razor-sharp teeth on top and bottom fit in an interlocking pattern. These two features make the red-bellied piranha an efficient and formidable feeder.
Of the 20 or so species of piranha, 12 do not attack in schools. Rather they take a quick bites of the fins or scales of passing fish, causing little damage as these parts grow back.
6-9-10, 9-1-11
*7-11-13, 10-9-13 not currently on exhibit
Red-bellied Piranha
TAXONOMY
Class: Actinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)
Order: Characiformes (Characins)
Family: Characidae (Characins)
Genus/species: Pygocentrus nattereri
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS: Length to 33 cm (13 inches). Weight to 3.8 kg (8 pounds). Laterally compressed. Primarily dark scales with silvery glitter highlights. Chin and belly reddish.
DISTRIBUTION/HABITAT: Amazon, Paraguay-Paraná and Essequibo basins. Found in freshwater creeks and interconnected pools.
DIET: Prey primarily on wounded and diseased fish. Feed communally in groups of 20–30 individuals who wait in vegetation for the opportunity to ambush prey. Once prey is attacked a feeding frenzy ensues. Adults forage at dusk and dawn; medium-sized fish most
active at dawn, late afternoon and at night; small fish feed by day. Also scavenge on waste (Easy Being Green Manual 2011 Page 28) dumped into rivers from slaughterhouses. Former CAS Steinhart Aquarium director Earl Herald used to feed piranhas the hearts of horses!
REPRODUCTION: Spawn after an elaborate courtship ritual where the mating pair swims in circles. Female deposits layers of eggs on aquatic plants; male fertilizes. Male defends and turns eggs. Masses hatch in 9–10 days.
PREDATORS: Preyed upon by other fishes including large catfishes, crocodilians, birds and larger mammals including jaguar.
REMARKS: The piranha’s reputation as a voraciously attacking humans is highly exaggerated. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. Stories of cows and humans striped clean of flesh may be true, but the “meal” in question was not alive when the attack took place. Even so, piranha’s can inflict a serious wound. Jaw muscles are incredibly strong, and the razor-sharp teeth on top and bottom fit in an interlocking pattern. These two features make the red-bellied piranha an efficient and formidable feeder.
Of the 20 or so species of piranha, 12 do not attack in schools. Rather they take a quick bites of the fins or scales of passing fish, causing little damage as these parts grow back.
6-9-10, 9-1-11
*7-11-13, 10-9-13 not currently on exhibit