Piranha is a species of fish that is often used in films. Piranha fish is described as a predatory, aggressive, and sharp-toothed predator that lives in the Amazon River.
But are piranhas fish like in the movies?
the following is an explanation of the piranha fish
Piranha fish are part of the subfamily Serrasalminae which belongs to the family Characidae.
Piranha is a freshwater fish that comes from rivers in South America
In addition to rivers, piranha habitat also includes swamps, lakes and reservoirs.
This fish is often described as a ferocious predatory fish that always preys on other fish or even humans who fall into the river
However, piranhas are not actually carnivores
Piranhas are omnivorous fish or eat anything, including aquatic plants
Until now the total number of piranha species is not known and is still being debated
But according to estimates, there are at least about 30 to 60 types of piranha
The following is the classification of piranha fish:
Kingdom Animalia, Phylum Chordata, Class Actinopterygii, Order Characiformes, Family Serrasalmidae, Genera Serrasalmus
The original habitat of the piranha fish is the waters in the Amazon basin, Orinoco, Guianas river, Paraguay, and the Sao Francisco river.
However, in each of these places there are great differences between species
So far, 39 species of piranha fish have been identified
25 species from the Amazon, 16 from Orinoco, 3 from Paraguay, and 2 from Sao Fancisco
There are piranha species that live only with their kind. but there are also species that live together, for example, 7 types of piranhas that live in Venezuelan rivers.
Apart from South America, piranhas are also found in Kaptai Lake, southeastern Bangladesh
The piranha population that is far from its natural habitat raises questions.
Based on research, it is suspected that the spread of this fish was caused by illegal traders who released piranha fish into the lake to avoid being caught
In addition to Bangladesh, piranhas are also found in the Lijiang river, China.
Piranha fish size varies depending on the species
Most can grow between 12 to 35 cm
The largest species that is still alive today is the red-bellied piranha whose body length reaches 50 cm.
While the extinct Megapiranha species has a body length of up to 71 cm
even up to 100 cm. Megapiranha lived 8,000 to 10,000 years ago.
Piranha fish are easily recognized by the unique shape of their teeth
All piranha species have a row of sharp teeth in both jaws
The teeth grow tightly together and interlock through tiny valves.
Usually piranha teeth are triangular in shape, pointed, and like the blade of a knife.
Piranha's biting ability is one of the strongest among other types of bony fish
This type of black piranha is able to produce a strong bite because this fish has large jaw muscles and is tightly attached to the tip of the jaw
Strong jaws combined with sharp teeth make piranhas very strong at tearing flesh.
Piranha fish behavior is actually not always aggressive as described
because the behavior of this fish is determined by the type
For example, the red-bellied piranha has a reputation for being a fierce predator
But recent research has shown that piranhas tend to protect themselves from predators, such as dolphins and cormorants.
Basically, the nature of the piranha fish is the same as most fish
Some species live in groups, but some live solitary, ie in pairs or live alone.
Piranha fish food is very diverse
not just eat other fish
Although it is true that piranhas have cannibal behavior or prey on their own species
and prey on vertebrates such as mammals, birds, and reptiles
but piranhas also eat plants, fruits, seeds. The type of food is determined by size or age.
When it's time to reproduce, piranhas will dig burrows
This fish will lay eggs in the hole during the breeding season
The mother piranha will swim around the hole to protect their eggs.
Newly hatched young piranhas survive by preying on zooplankton
After growing bigger, piranhas start to switch to prey on other smaller fish.
Although it looks scary, it turns out that the teeth of piranhas were often used by humans as a tool to carve wood or cut hair
Some also use it for sharpening tools.
The use has been documented by several South American tribes
including the Camukara and Shavante tribes in Brazil and the Pacahuara people in Bolivia.
In their natural habitat, piranha fish are often considered a nuisance because they often steal bait, eating human catches
and damage some equipment when accidentally caught.
Once caught, in addition to the teeth used as tools, piranha meat can also be eaten.
Types of piranhas that are often used as pe