Piranha fish: description and photo

Piranhas are monsters from horror films and scary stories, small but bloodthirsty inhabitants of the Amazon and other rivers in South America (Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Brazil, Argentina). And what do we know about them? Perhaps nothing. After all, all knowledge is limited to just one species - an ordinary piranha, which has earned itself a bad name.

What does piranha fish look like?

The Piranha family has slightly more than 60 species of fish. And, strangely enough, most of them are herbivores, they practically do not eat animal food. The sizes of piranhas depend on the species, the carnivores mostly reach 30 cm, and their vegetarian relatives can gain a considerable mass and grow more than one meter long. Coloration also depends on the species, but mostly silvery-gray, and with age it becomes darker. The shape of the body is rhomboid and high, with lateral compressed. The main food for predators is a variety of freshwater fish, piranhas can be fed by animals or even birds that are found on the way. For herbivorous species, the Amazon and its tributaries abound with various vegetation, do not disdain these fish and nuts, seeds that enter the water.

The structure of the jaw

Piranhas are characterized by an amazing structure of the jaw apparatus, which, perhaps, has no analogues in nature. It provides everything to the finest detail. Teeth having a triangular shape and dimensions of 4-5 mm, plate-like and sharp, like a razor blade, are slightly curved inwards. This allows them to easily dissect the victim's flesh, tearing off pieces of meat. In addition, the upper and lower teeth fit perfectly into the sinuses when the jaw is closed, creating strong pressure. This feature allows piranhas to bite bones. When closing the jaws close like a trap. According to the latest research of scientists, the bite force is 320 newtons and has no analogues in the animal world. The jaws of the piranha have a pressure of about 30 times the weight of the bite.

Where do piranhas live?

These are the inhabitants of freshwater reservoirs in South America. The Amazon basin concentrates in itself a fifth of all fresh water, this river is full of diverse fish. Piranhas inhabit the entire length of the river and are the subject of many legends and stories of local residents. The floodplain of the river occupies vast territories, most of it belongs to Brazil, but also to Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia and Peru. Piranhas are well-felt in other rivers, their areola in the territory of the South American continent is very large.

Recently, this fish has become very popular in home keeping and breeding. Piranha in an aquarium will grow less than the size that is typical for it in natural conditions, and a little loses its aggressiveness. Surprisingly, with such a threatening appearance, they become shy in a confined space and often hide in artificial shelters.

All piranha fish are united into one family and divide, according to the zoological classification, into three subfamilies.

Myelin's subfamily

Myelins are the most numerous group, it unites seven genera and 32 species. They are herbivorous and absolutely harmless piranhas (photo). Fish eat vegetarian food. Coloring is quite diverse, depending on the species. The shape of the body is characteristic, compressed laterally and high. In young specimens, the color is silver-steel, with varying degrees of spotting, which, as it grows, darkens to a chocolate gray color. Dimensions vary from 10 to 20 centimeters. Many representatives of this subfamily are bred in aquariums. They need a large amount of water and enough space for shelter, since this is a fairly shy fish. Aquarium piranha from the myelin subfamily will feel good at a water temperature of 23-28 degrees, and the daily diet should include salad, cabbage, spinach, peas and other vegetables. Some species in the wild can eat even nuts, easily splitting their strong jaw with a strong shell.

Black pack is the brightest representative of myelin

Black paku (or Amazonian broad-swallow) is the most famous representative of the Myelina subfamily. In addition, it is also the largest: its dimensions range from 30 centimeters to one meter or more, for all this it is not a predator. Coloring of adults is rather modest, brownish-brown, but youngsters have a silvery color with a large number of spots throughout the body and bright fins. Meat Black Paku has good taste qualities and is used by local residents. These are commercial piranhas. Aquarium conditions are also quite suitable, but the size of the fish will be slightly less than in nature, on average about 30 centimeters, life expectancy - within 10 years or slightly more. The content of this species requires a large aquarium (from 200 liters) and good care.

Subfamily Catopeprionines

This subfamily is represented by only one species - these are the flag piranhas. Fishes are completely harmless and lead a semi-parasitic way of life, their main food is the scales of other fish, although the species of these aquatic inhabitants is quite sinister, and they are not inferior in severity to their carnivorous brethren. The shape of the flag piranhas is rhomboid, flattened from the sides. The color of the scales is gray-green with a silvery sheen. A distinctive feature is the presence of a red speck on the gill covers. Extreme rays of the anal and dorsal fin are strongly elongated, and in the caudal fin - the root of black color. Dimensions are small, only 10-15 cm.

This fish, which looks like a piranha and is its closest relative, has basically its diet (60%) has plant food, and only 40% are small fishes. But it still needs to be kept separate from other fish, otherwise very small ones will be eaten, and large ones will risk remaining with damaged fins and partially without scales. As animal feed, you can use small shrimp or fish, earthworms, and vegetable - leaves spinach, lettuce, nettles and other greens.

Subfamily Serrasalmina

These are the most ruthless predators, the subfamily is represented by only one genus and 25 species. They all eat animal food: fish, animals, birds. The size of the piranhas of the subfamily Serrasalmin can reach up to 80 cm in size, reaching a weight of 1 kg. This is a real threat to animals (not to mention fish), which in sizes can exceed them several times, but this does not stop the piranhas. The form of small predators is really formidable: the lower jaw protrudes forward and slightly curved upward, the eyes are convex, the round flat body shape is characteristic. In reservoirs, they prefer to stay in packs, but when attacking the victim they act independently, so it can not be said that they are cohesive group fish. Piranhas react to movement in the water, this attracts their attention. When one of them finds a victim, the rest instantly flies to the place. And there is an opinion of zoologists that piranhas are capable of making sounds, thereby transmitting information to each other. A flock of piranhas is capable of leaving only bones from the animal in a few minutes.

The information that they are able to feel the blood at a decent distance from the victim is true. Piranha fish live in the turbid waters of the Amazon, and it is natural that they had to adapt to the conditions of poor visibility, as a result - a well-developed sense of smell. Piranhas really attracts blood, this is a signal about the appearance of a victim.

In addition, they do not disdain carrion, and even their sick or weakened brethren. For animals and humans, only a few species present a real danger.

Ordinary piranha

The most famous representative around whom discussions do not cease is the Ordinary Piranha. The length of an individual of this species can reach up to 30 centimeters, but mostly they are the size of a human's palm. Ordinary piranhas (photo of the fish below) have a greenish-silver color with a lot of dark spots throughout the body, on the abdomen of scales has a characteristic pinkish hue. They live in flocks of about one hundred individuals.

The last years and in the home maintenance are very popular ordinary piranhas. Aquarium conditions contribute to reducing aggression. But the aquarium still needs a separate one.

Black piranha

This is another species from the subfamily Serrasalmina, very common in nature and popular in domestic breeding. The habitat is the Amazon and Orinoco rivers. The shape of the body is rhomboid, and the color is dark, black-silver. In young fish, the abdomen has a yellow tint. Black piranhas are an omnivorous predator, everything is suitable for a diet: fish, arthropods, birds or animals accidentally caught in the water. Such illegibility in food and led to their fairly high numbers in the waters of the Amazon. Although the aggressiveness of the species is inferior to the same ordinary piranha. An aquarium for such a fish is needed large, more than 300 liters. The difficulty of breeding is the aggressiveness of piranhas in relation to each other. Reproduction is possible if the aquarium family members eat properly, with an abundance of animal food they are obese, which can become a significant obstacle to the appearance of offspring. In the photo there is a black piranha.

Myth one: piranhas attack a person

To judge about this is uniquely difficult, because the data is very contradictory. Many scientists and zoologists who have spent more than one year on the Amazon have never witnessed the attack, in addition, they themselves, exposing themselves to danger for the sake of experiment, bathed in the muddy waters of the river, where a few minutes before that, piranhas were caught, but no attacks Followed.

For a long time there was a story about a bus with locals who had moved to one of the tributaries of the Amazon, and all the passengers were literally eaten by piranhas. History really took place in the 70s of last century, 39 passengers died, but one managed to escape. According to eyewitnesses, the bodies of the victims were indeed severely damaged by piranhas. But to judge whether this attack was and whether it is the cause of death is not possible.

There are reliable sources of bites on the beaches of Argentina, when the first to attack the fish. But these were isolated cases. Zoologists explain this by the fact that piranhas, spawning of which is just beginning at the height of the beach season, are building nests in shallow water. Therefore, such behavior of fish is quite natural: they protected their offspring.

In addition, piranhas are most dangerous for humans and animals during a drought, when the water level in rivers reaches their minimum, which affects their diet: food is getting smaller. Local residents know about this and do not enter the river at that time. The safest is the rainy season, when rivers flood.

Myth two: piranhas attack in packs

There are a lot of stories about the terrible attacks of a whole flock, all this is fueled by numerous feature films. In fact, large individuals do not scour in search of prey in the river, they stand in one place, usually in shallow water. The fish waits for its prey, and as soon as this victim appears, the piranha is sent to the right place. Attracted by the noise and smell of blood, the rest also rushes to it. Piranhas gather in flocks not for hunting prey, but for defense from the enemy - so many scientists believe. It would seem, who can harm them? However, even such a predatory fish has enemies. Piranha, gathering in flocks, defends themselves from the river dolphins that feed them, but for humans they are harmless and quite friendly. In addition, among the natural enemies of piranhas are arapaim and caimans. The first is a giant fish, which is considered a practically living fossil. Possessing amazing, heavy-duty scales, it presents a real threat to piranhas. Fish, found singly, immediately become a victim of arapaima. Caymans are small representatives of the squad of Crocodiles. Zoologists have noticed that as soon as the number of these caimans decreases, the number of piranhas in the river increases immediately.

Myth three: piranhas appear in the reservoirs of Russia

The incidents did take place, but this is the result either of the behavior of sloppy aquarium fish lovers, or of deliberate launching into a pond. In any case, worry in vain. Although the piranhas perfectly adapt to any conditions, the main factor of their successful existence remains the same - a warm climate and water (within 24-27 degrees), which is impossible in our country.

Of course, these are predatory fish. Piranhas are dangerous and very voracious, but still stories about them are often too embellished and contrived. The indigenous population of South America has learned to co-exist alongside piranhas and even made them an object of fishing. Nature has not created anything useless: if wolves are forest orderlies, then piranhas perform a similar function in water bodies.