Piranha

:For the armoured vehicle, see Mowag Piranha

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Catoprion

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Citharinus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pristobrycon

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Pygocentrus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Serrasalmus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The piranhas or pira?as are a group of carnivorous freshwater fish living in South American rivers. They belong to five genera of the subfamily of Serrasalminae (which also includes closely related herbivorous fish including pacus and silver dollars). They are normally about 15 to 25 cm long (6 to 10 inches) long, although reportedly individuals have been found up to 40 cm in length. They are known for their sharp teeth (able to bite through a steel fishing hook) and an aggressive appetite for meat and flesh. They are normally only found in the Amazonian, Guyanas' and Paraguayan river systems. However, piranha (most likely former aquarium-dwellers) are also occasionally found in the Potomac River, but they typically do not survive the cold winters of that regionhttp://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/05/28/AR2005052801079_pf.html.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Piranhas generally pose little threat to humans, and attacks on humans are extremely rare. Natives frequently swim in piranha infested water without attacks or scratches. It is not recommended to swim where piranha live in drought season because of increased aggressiveness caused by food scarcity.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Recent research on Serrasalmus aff. brandtii and Pygocentrus nattereri in Viana Lake, which is formed during the wet season when the Rio Pindare (a left bank tributary of the Rio Mearim) floods, has shown that these species eat vegetable matter at some stages in their life history. They are not strictly carnivorous fishes.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The name piranha may come from a hybrid language composed of Tupi-Guarani languages; it may be a compound word made of the components 'pir?', meaning 'fish', and 'sanha' or 'ranha', meaning 'tooth'. In Tupi, inalienably possessed nouns take the prefix 't-', 's-', or 'r-' depending on the possessor, or zero in combination; thus 'pir?'+'anha'. Alternately, it may come from Tupi 'pir?' ('fish') and '?nha' ('cut'). It is pronounced (in IPA) (or ), , or ).

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In the Maroni River in Suriname/French Guiana a large kind, weighing up to five kilograms, can be found; it seems to be an herbivore. This species hosts colonies of worms in its stomach.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Carnivorous: REDIRECT carnivore...

Freshwater: Freshwater or (the predominant nontechnical spelling) fresh water is naturally occurring water on the Earth's surface in bogs, ponds, lakes, rivers and streams, and underground as groundwater in aquifers and underground streams. Freshwater is characterized by having low concentrations of dissolved ...

Fish: : This page is about the animals. For other meanings, please see Fish (disambiguation)....

Piranha related Images and Photos (experimental)

Piranha 3-D

Piranha Panic Game

Super Mario Series 3 Piranha Plant Plush