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Piranha

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For other uses, see Piranha (disambiguation).
iPiranha

Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Characidae
Subfamily: Serrasalminae
Genera

Catoprion
Pristobrycon
Pygocentrus
Pygopristis
Serrasalmus

The piranhas or pirañas 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), although reportedly individuals have been found up to 40 cm in length. They are known for their sharp teeth and an aggressive appetite for meat and flesh. Locals use their teeth in tools and weapons. They are normally found only in the Amazonian, Guianas 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 region.[1]

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

They are a popular food fish also, though if a specimen is caught on hook and line it may be attacked by other piranhas.

The name piranha may come from a hybrid language composed of Tupi-Guarani languages; it may be a compound word made of the components 'pirá', 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 'pirá'+'anha'. Alternatively, it may come from Tupi 'pirá' ('fish') and 'ánha' ('cut'). It is pronounced (in IPA) /pʰiɻanʲjə/ (or /pʰɻanʲjə/), /pʰiɻaʲɲə/, or /pʰiɻanʲə/).

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

Contents

[edit] Species

[edit] Other, closely related species

Pygocentrus nattereri
Pygocentrus nattereri
Serrasalmus manueli

[edit] References

[edit] External links

de:Piranhas es:Piraña fr:Piranha gd:Piranha ko:피라냐 it:Piranha he:פיראנה lt:Piranijos nl:Piranha's ja:ピラニア no:Pirayaer pl:Pirania pt:Piranha fi:Piraijat sv:Piraya vi:Piranha zh:食人鱼

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