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| SCIENTIFIC
CLASSIFICATION |
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| COMMON
NAME: |
piranha |
| KINGDOM: |
Animalia |
| PHYLUM: |
Chordata |
| CLASS: |
Osteichthyes |
| ORDER: |
Characiformes |
| FAMILY: |
Serrasalmidae |
| GENUS
SPECIES: |
Serrasalmus
spp. |
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| DESCRIPTION: |
Piranhas
have a robust, narrow body, a blunt head, and strong
jaws with triangular-shaped, razor sharp teeth.
Piranhas tend to be silvery with red-pigmented patches. |
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| SIZE: |
Typical
size is 20.3-30.5 cm (8-12 in.), although adults
of some species grow larger |
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| DIET: |
Omnivorous;
feeds on fish, crustaceans, aquatic invertebrates,
seeds, fruit, carrion, and plant matter |
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| INCUBATION: |
Oviparous
(egg laying) |
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| RANGE: |
Piranhas
are generally found in South American rivers including
the Sao Francisco, Paraguay, and Orinoco rivers |
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| POPULATION: |
GLOBAL |
No
data |
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| STATUS: |
IUCN |
Not
listed |
| CITES |
Not
listed |
| USFWS |
Not
listed |
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| 1. |
Piranhas
are well known for their razor sharp teeth, and
have a reputation for having voracious appetites.
Although they are known to occasionally attack large
animals, the reputation is greatly exaggerated.
Most adult piranhas - depending on the species -
eat fruit, seeds, and fish. Some have been found
with bird fragments, snakes, and small mammals in
their stomachs. Young piranhas may eat copepods,
crustaceans, and insects. |
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| 2. |
Piranhas may feed more aggressively when their normal
food resources become scarce. Water levels of their
river homes fall during the dry season. Piranhas
may become trapped in stagnant pools for weeks.
When all of the food in these pools is consumed,
piranhas may eat anything that enters the water. |
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| 3. |
Five species are considered potentially dangerous
to humans: Serrasalmus piraya, S. nattereri,
S. niger, S. rhombeus, and S. eigenmanni
- but piranha attacks on people are extremely rare.
According to Dr. Herbert R. Axelrod, in his Atlas
of Freshwater Aquarium Fishes, "In 25 years
of travel and fishing in almost every river system
in South America, nearly all of which had schools
of piranha, I NEVER was bitten, nor did I ever meet
anyone who was bitten...nor did I ever meet anyone
who even knew anyone who was bitten by a piranha...and
these are mostly Indians who live on the river and
swim in it every day." |
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| 4. |
For
more information about bony fishes, explore the
bony
fishes info book. |
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| Piranhas'
natural predators include crocodiles, Amazon river
dolphins (botos), and herons. With the decline of
these predators, piranha populations are increasing
in certain rivers. Humans also hunt piranhas for
their meat and for the pet trade. It is legal to
have piranhas as pets in some areas. Of course,
aquarists must take care while handling piranhas
to avoid receiving a serious bite. |
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| Andrews,
A., Parham, D. and W. Street. Bony Fishes.
SeaWorld Education Department Publication. San Diego,
SeaWorld, Inc. 1995. |
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Axelrod, H.R., Burgess, W.E., Pronej, N. and Wall,
J.G. Dr. Axelrod's Atlas of Freshwater Aquarium
Fishes. Neptune City, NJ. T.F.H. Publications,
Inc. 1997. |
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http://www.fishbase.org/
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