iranha

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"Pirana" redirects here. For other uses, see Piranha (disambiguation).
Piranha
Temporal range: Miocene–Recent
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A red-bellied piranha at the Karlsruhe Zoo
A red-bellied piranha at the Karlsruhe Zoo
Scientific classificationEdit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Superfamily: Erythrinoidea
Family: Serrasalmidae
Included genera
Catoprion
Pristobrycon
Pygocentrus
Pygopristis
Serrasalmus
†Megapiranha

A piranha or piraña (/pɪˈrɑːnjə/, /pɪˈrænjə/, or /pɪˈrɑːnə/; Portuguese: [piˈɾɐ̃ɲɐ],

Spanish: [piˈɾaɲa]), a member of family Serrasalmidae,[1] or a member of the
subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae[2] in order
Characiformes, is a freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers,
floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Although often described as extremely predatory
and mainly feeding on fish, their dietary habits vary extensively, and they will
also take plant material,[3] leading to their classification as omnivorous.[4]

Contents
1 Etymology
2 Taxonomy and evolution
3 Distribution
4 Description
4.1 Size
4.2 Morphology
4.3 Biting abilities
5 Ecology
6 Relationship with humans
6.1 Attacks
7 Reputation
7.1 Theodore Roosevelt
8 See also
9 References
10 External links
Etymology
The name originates from the indigenous Tupi people and their respective Tupi
language. It is formed from two words, pirá meaning fish and sainha meaning tooth;
the same word is used by Indians to describe a pair of scissors.[5] Or pira nya,
probably literally "biting-fish".[6] In the mid 18th century the Portuguese merged
the word into piranha.

Taxonomy and evolution

Piranhas belong to the subfamily Serrasalminae, which includes closely related
omnivorous[7] fish such as pacus.[8] Traditionally, only the four genera
Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, and Serrasalmus are considered to be true
piranhas, due to their specialized teeth. However, a recent analysis showed, if the
piranha group is to be monophyletic, it should be restricted to Serrasalmus,
Pygocentrus, and part of Pristobrycon, or expanded to include these taxa plus
Pygopristis, Catoprion, and Pristobrycon striolatus. Pygopristis was found to be
more closely related to Catoprion than the other three piranha genera.[8]

The total number of piranha species is unknown and contested, and new species
continue to be described. Estimates range from fewer than 30 to more than 60.[8]

Piranha in Venezuela
Distribution
Piranhas are indigenous to the Amazon basin, in the Orinoco, in rivers of the
Guianas, in the Paraguay–Paraná, and the São Francisco River systems, but there are
major differences in the species richness. In a review where 38–39 piranha species
were recognized, 25 were from the Amazon and 16 from Orinoco, while only three were
present in Paraguay–Paraná and two in São Francisco.[8] Most species are restricted
to a single river system, but some (such as the red-bellied piranha) occur in
several. Many species can occur together; for example, seven are found in Caño
Maporal, a stream in Venezuela.[8]

Aquarium piranhas have been unsuccessfully introduced into parts of the United
States.[9] In many cases, however, reported captures of piranhas are
misidentifications of pacu (e.g., red-bellied pacu (Piaractus brachypomus) is
frequently misidentified as red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)).[10]
Piranhas have also been discovered in the Kaptai Lake in southeast Bangladesh.
Research is being carried out to establish how piranhas have moved to such distant
corners of the world from their original habitat. Some rogue exotic fish traders
are thought to have released them in the lake to avoid being caught by antipoaching
forces. Piranhas were also spotted in the Lijiang River in China.[11]

Description

Jawbone of Pygocentrus nattereri

Size
Depending on the exact species, most piranhas grow to between 12 and 35 cm (5–14
in) long. A few can grow larger, with the largest living species, the red-bellied,
reaching up to 50 cm (20 in).[12][13] There are claims of São Francisco piranhas at
up to 60 cm (24 in), but the largest confirmed specimens are considerably smaller.
[14] The extinct Megapiranha which lived 8–10 million years ago reached about 71 cm
(28 in) long,[15] and possibly even 128 cm (50 in).[16]

Morphology
Serrasalmus, Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, and Pygopristis are most easily recognized
by their unique dentition. All piranhas have a single row of sharp teeth in both
jaws. The teeth are tightly packed and interlocking (via small cusps) and are used
for rapid puncture and shearing. Individual teeth are typically broadly triangular,
pointed, and blade-like (flat in profile). The variation in the number of cusps is
minor. In most species, the teeth are tricuspid with a larger middle cusp which
makes the individual teeth appear markedly triangular. The exception is
Pygopristis, which has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp usually only slightly
larger than the other cusps.

Biting abilities
Piranhas have one of the strongest bites found in bony fishes. Relative to body
mass, the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) produces one of the most forceful
bites measured in vertebrates. This extremely powerful and dangerous bite is
generated by large jaw muscles (adductor mandibulae) that are attached closely to
the tip of the jaw, conferring the piranha with a mechanical advantage that favors
force production over bite speed. Strong jaws combined with finely serrated teeth
make them adept at tearing flesh.[17]

Ecology
Close-up of a piranha at Georgia Aquarium
Close-up of a piranha at Georgia Aquarium
Piranhas vary extensively in ecology and behavior depending on exact species.[3]
Piranhas, especially the red-bellied (Pygocentrus nattereri), have a reputation as
ferocious predators that hunt their prey in schools. Recent research, however,
which "started off with the premise that they school as a means of cooperative
hunting", discovered they are timid fish that schooled for protection from their
own predators, such as cormorants, caimans, and dolphins. Piranhas are "basically
like regular fish with large teeth".[18] A few other species may also occur in
large groups, while the remaining are solitary or found in small groups.[3]

Although generally described as highly predatory and primarily feeding on fish,

piranha diets vary extensively,[3] leading to their classification as omnivorous.
[4] In addition to fish (occasionally even their own species[19]), documented food
items for piranhas include other vertebrates (mammals, birds, reptiles),
invertebrates (insects, crustaceans), fruits, seeds, leaves and detritus.[3] The
diet often shifts with age and size.[19] Research on the species Serrasalmus aff.
brandtii and Pygocentrus nattereri in Viana Lake in Maranhão, which is formed
during the wet season when the Pindaré River (a tributary of the Mearim River)
floods, has shown that they primarily feed on fish, but also eat vegetable matter.
[20] In another study of more than 250 Serrasalmus rhombeus at Ji-Paraná (Machado)
River, 75% to 81% (depending on season) of the stomach content was fish, but about
10% was fruits or seeds.[3] In a few species such as Serrasalmus serrulatus, the
dietary split may be more equal, but this is less certain as based on smaller
samples: Among 24 S. serrulatus from flooded forests of Ji-Paraná (Machado) River,
there were several with fish remains in their stomachs, but half contained
masticated seeds and in most of these this was the dominant item.[3] Piranhas will
often scavenge,[8] and some species such as Serrasalmus elongatus are specialized
scale-eaters, feeding primarily on scales and fins of other fish.[3] Scale- and
fin-eating is more widespread among juvenile and sub-adult piranhas.[19]

Piranhas lay their eggs in pits dug during the breeding season and swim around to
protect them. Newly hatched young feed on zooplankton, and eventually move on to
small fish once large enough.[21]

Relationship with humans

Fishing piranha on the Ucayali River

A piranha, lightly grilled, served as food in the Peruvian Amazon

A souvenir piranha
Piranha teeth are often used as tools themselves (such as for carving wood or
cutting hair) or to modify other tools (such as sharpening of darts). This behavior
has been documented among several South American tribes, including the Camayura and
Shavante in Brazil and the Pacahuara in Bolivia.[22][23][24] Piranhas are also
popular as food. They are often considered a nuisance by fishers since they steal
bait, eat catches, damage fishing gear and may bite when accidentally caught.[8]

Piranhas can be bought as pets in some areas, but they are illegal in many parts of
the United States, and in the Philippines, where importers face six months to four
years in jail, and the piranhas destroyed to prevent proliferation in the latter.
[25][26]
The most common aquarium piranha is Pygocentrus nattereri, the red-bellied piranha.
Piranhas can be bought fully grown or as young, often no larger than a thumbnail.
It is important to keep Pygocentrus piranhas alone or in groups of four or more,
not in pairs, since aggression among them is common, not allowing the weaker fish
to survive, and is distributed more widely when kept in larger groups. It is not
uncommon to find individual piranhas with one eye missing due to a previous attack.

Attacks
Although often described as extremely dangerous in the media, piranhas typically do
not represent a serious risk to humans.[3][27] However, attacks have occurred,
especially when the piranhas are in a stressed situation, such as the dense groups
that may occur when the water is lower during the dry season and food is relatively
scarce.[3][28] Swimming near fishermen may increase the risk of attacks due to the
commotion caused by struggling fish and the presence of bait in the water.[29][30]
Splashing attracts piranhas and for this reason children are more often attacked
than adults.[28] Being in the water when already injured or otherwise incapacitated
also increases the risk.[3] There are sometimes warning signs at high-risk
locations,[31] and beaches in such areas are sometimes protected by a barrier.[32]

Most piranha attacks on humans only result in minor injuries, typically to the feet
or hands, but they are occasionally more serious and very rarely can be fatal.[28]
Near the city of Palmas in Brazil, 190 piranha attacks, all involving single bites
to the feet, were reported in the first half of 2007 in an artificial lake, which
appeared after the damming of the Tocantins River.[32][33] In the state of São
Paulo, a series of attacks in 2009 in the Tietê River resulted in minor injuries to
15 people.[30] In 2011, another series of attacks at José de Freitas in the
Brazilian state of Piauí resulted in 100 people being treated for bites to their
toes or heels.[34] On 25 December 2013, more than 70 bathers were attacked at
Rosario in Argentina, causing injuries to their hands or feet.[29] In 2011, a drunk
18-year-old man was attacked and killed in Rosario del Yata, Bolivia.[35] In 2012,
a five-year-old Brazilian girl was attacked and killed by a shoal of P. nattereri.
[36] In February 2015, a six-year-old girl died after being attacked by piranhas
when her grandmother's boat capsized during a vacation in Brazil.[37]

Reputation
Various stories exist about piranhas, such as how they can skeletonize a human body
or cattle in seconds. These legends refer specifically to the red-bellied piranha.
[38]

A common falsehood is that they can be attracted by blood and are exclusively
carnivores.[39] A Brazilian legend called "piranha cattle" states that they sweep
the rivers at high speed and attack the first of the cattle entering the water
allowing the rest of the group to traverse the river.[40] These legends were
dismissed through research by Hélder Queiroz and Anne Magurran and published in
Biology Letters.[41]

Theodore Roosevelt
When former US President Theodore Roosevelt visited Brazil in 1913, he went on a
hunting expedition through the Amazon Rainforest. While standing on the bank of the
Amazon River, he witnessed a spectacle created by local fishermen. After blocking
off part of the river and starving the piranhas for several days, they pushed a cow
into the water, where it was quickly torn apart and skeletonized by a school of
hungry piranhas.[42][43]

Roosevelt later described piranhas as vicious creatures in his 1914 book Through
the Brazilian Wilderness.[44]