Ugly, toothy and bloodthirsty

The Amazon is home to one of the most dangerous beings known locally as “biters” (“mordedores” in Portuguese). And we are not talking about the shark, even though his bite has the same strength as the bite of a shark. We are talking about the fearsome piranhas, a freshwater fish, very agile, well known in our country and feared for its ability to tear the flesh of those who enter their territory. The name “piranha” actually means “fish tooth” in indigenous Amazonian languages.

This small but powerful fish has a predator profile, with very strong jaws and very sharp teeth that can do great damage. Its frightening reputation contributed to the fish becoming the main character in some bloodthirsty Hollywood films.

It is believed to exist from 30 to 60 different species of piranhas. However, the exact number is unknown. There are more than 20 different species found only in the Amazon River. The piranha is notorious for its sharp teeth and a school of piranhas can strip prey to bones in a few minutes. Because they attack as a group, it’s easy to hunt prey and provide protection from predators, such as the alligator. Its teeth were not made to chew, but to cut and swallow. Therefore, when a hungry school of fish attacks, the carcass of the prey is devoured quickly.

They are predatory fish that feed on other small fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles such as anaconda babies, carcasses left by larger animals such as otters and any animal that falls into the water where they live.

And if one day you get a cut and step inside the waters of a Brazilian river, be careful, because piranhas can detect a drop of blood in 200 liters of water and they can easily perceive the vibrations of injured animals. In addition, if you are swimming close to where the offspring are, you are at great risk of being attacked by a school of piranhas as they have a great defense instinct to protect their hatchlings from intruders. Even though there is no record of human death caused by piranha attacks, it is best to stay away from them.

The famous species of red-bellied piranha has a silver body that is covered in red spots, but other piranhas may have shades of yellow, green and black. This provides a form of camouflage in the muddy waters in which they live.