Piranhas are sometimes feared because of their ability to strip meat down to the bone in just minutes. These fish are actually omnivores and will eat fruits, sea plants, and other vegetation just as readily as they’ll eat snails or other fish.
We actually have Teddy Roosevelt, the 26th President of the US, to thank for this reputation. In his memoirs about traveling through the Brazilian rainforest, he described them as the “most ferocious fish in the world.”
Interesting Facts About Piranhas
#1. There are about 30 species of piranha that have been identified so far. They are all found in the freshwaters of South America, stretching from Venezuela to Argentina. Some piranhas have been found in other waters, but it is believed these were aquarium fish that were released for one reason or another.
#2. The teeth of a piranha are similar to that of a shark. The tooth is shaped like a blade and it can tear through flesh and tough vegetation with ease. Unlike sharks, however, a piranha replaces its teeth in quarters throughout its entire life. Some piranhas have been known to live for 8-10 years.
#3. Piranhas have a very powerful bite compared to their overall size. Research has discovered that a bite can have a maximum force of over 70 pounds per square inch, which is three times the body weight of this fish.
#4. Piranhas do not generally attack large creatures unless they are close to death. The idea that a human could be killed just by stepping into a river with piranhas is more of an urban legend than reality. Even when Roosevelt saw a cow carcass being stripped by piranhas, it was only because the local tribes had caught several fish and stored them without food for several days before the presentation.
#5. Some piranhas are actually herbivores. The piranhas of the Trombetas Basin in Brazil only eat river weeds.
#6. When piranhas hunt, they tend to go for the most sensitive areas of the animal first. This means they will either attack the tail, the eyes, or both if the shoal is large enough. This helps to immobilize the prey and limit potential injury.
#7. Some piranha species are also known to make vocal sounds. The red-bellied piranha, for example, can make three different types of sounds that sounds like a grunt or bark.
#8. Piranhas swim together more for safety than for hunting purposes. This is because a larger sea creature may very well think of a piranha as a tasty meal.
Live Piranha Cams
Most piranha webcams are setup by private owners who maintain their own aquariums. This is due to the dangers of placing a webcam to broadcast in the natural environment where most piranhas are found.
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The fierceness of the piranha has also made it the subject of many specials and videos to help everyone get to know this sea creature a little better.
Watch Piranha, one of the most feared fish in all of the world on these live webcams. Piranha are native to South American rivers and are known for eating an animal in as little as a minute.
EvoCam Live Piranha Webcam
See several Piranha in this aquarium cam with streaming video.
View Live Webcam: EvoCam Live Piranha Webcam