Red Piranha
Red Piranha
Pygocentrus naterreri
Max. size: 30 cm
These fish are found in freshwater habitats in South America. A gregarious species, they are usually found in shoals of a hundred and even a million individuals.
The predator’s mouth is an impressive sight: the lower part of the jaw protrudes and the razor-sharp teeth are curved slightly inwards, which allows it to tear flesh off easily.
The fish have very strong jaws. They mostly attack wounded animals or those that are already dead. They are a potentially dangerous fish for man in times of drought when food is lacking.
In the aquarium, when the sixty piranhas are displayed, you can see a clear hierarchy in the group: the dominant fish are at the top of the shoal, while the dominated fish are at the bottom and only receive the last morsels of food. Although they are fed three times a week with mussels, slices of squid and fish, this doesn’t prevent them from eating each other. They are, in fact, cannibals.
Another piranha, the pacu whose diet is mostly vegetarian, is also on display in the aquarium. It is fed, amongst other things, on apples and salad.
