Piranha fish. Lifestyle and habitat of piranha fish. Piranha Aquarium piranhas, names and photos

The common piranha is a species of predatory ray-finned fish. It first became known about it in the middle of the 19th century. In nature, there are about 30 species of these fish, 4 of which can pose a potential threat to humans.

Length adult varies from 20 to 30 cm. However, cases have been reported when according to description eyewitnesses piranha reached a length of 80 cm. It was the largest of its kind.

The color of females and males is different. In nature, male piranhas are blue-black or green in color, with a silvery tint. The females of this fish species have scales violet shade.

With age, the color becomes darker. Piranha fish differ in the specific structure of the jaw. Closed teeth resemble a closed zipper. This structure helps them successfully hunt fairly large prey.

Pictured is a piranha fish

To the most famous piranha species These include characin-like fish, black pacu (herbivorous fish), lunar and common metinnis, slender, dwarf, flag piranha, and red-finned miley.

Scientists classify piranhas and pacu as members of the family of “toothed salmonids,” which are distinguished by the presence of a serrated keel. Otherwise, especially in nutrition and jaw structure, they are very different.

Features and habitat of piranha

You can meet piranha in the waters of South America: in Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador. Amazon, Orinoco, Parana are the most popular river places, where does piranha live.

In the photo there is a piranha pacu fish

They love fresh warm water, rich in oxygen, calm currents and an abundance of vegetation. Sometimes they can be found in sea ​​water. During this period, females are not capable of spawning. Several species of fish can coexist in the same territory.

Character and lifestyle of piranha fish

About piranha fish There are many myths circulating. Piranha usually called killer fish and monsters due to their aggressiveness. The “quarrelsome” nature of fish can be seen by observing how they behave in a school.

It is not uncommon to see that they are missing a fin or have scars on their body. Piranhas can attack not only representatives of other species of the animal world, but also their “brothers”. There are even cases of cannibalism. Basically, piranhas choose rivers where a lot of fish swim, since food for them is the main thing in life.

Cases of “cannibalism” sometimes occur in a school of piranhas

Piranhas mostly swim in small groups of 25-30 individuals. Some flocks can reach about a thousand representatives of this species. Herd behavior is inherent in them not due to the desire to kill. On the contrary, it is a protective mechanism, since in nature there are animals for which piranhas are food. For example, caimans, some species, .

The diet of piranhas is extremely varied. It includes:

• amphibians;
• invertebrates;
• plants;
• weak or sick individuals;
• large animals (buffalos).

Fish aggression increases due to the beginning of spawning. During the rainy season - end of January - best time for procreation. Before breeding begins, males make a hole at the bottom, blowing out silt. About a thousand eggs can be placed in such a “shelter”.

Males protect their offspring and provide them with oxygen thanks to intense movements. Sometimes, to preserve the offspring, the eggs are attached to the leaves or stems of algae. The larvae appear after 40 hours.

Until this time, they eat the reserves of the gall sac. As soon as the fry can get their own food, their parents stop caring for them. A piranha is considered sexually mature when it grows to 15-18 cm. Piranhas are gentle, caring parents. Older individuals behave quietly. They do not attack the prey, but prefer to sit out in the seaweed or behind a snag.

Despite the belief that piranhas are killer fish, it must be said that they can experience shock from fright. If frightened, it may “faint”: the individual’s scales turn pale, and the piranha sinks sideways to the bottom. But after she wakes up, the piranha will rush to defend itself.

Piranha fish are dangerous for a person. There have been no recorded cases of humans being eaten, but bites from these fish can cause serious harm. Piranha fish bite painful, the wounds take a long time to become inflamed and do not heal. Approximately 70 people a year are bitten by piranhas.

Piranha - predatory fish. The biggest danger is its jaws. Scientists conducted an experiment. Several dozen individuals were captured from the Amazon. Dynamometers were lowered one by one into the aquarium where they were located.

As a result, it turned out that the bite could reach three hundred and twenty newtons. It turned out that piranhas have the most powerful jaws of all existing fauna representatives. Numerous photo of piranha fish demonstrate the degree of danger from meeting this predator.

Piranha food

1. The most important thing is to give food in doses. It may seem that the fish are hungry. Actually this is not true. Piranhas have a constant desire to eat.
2. The water in the aquarium must be clean, so you need to remove any leftover food after each feeding. Contamination can make your fish sick.
3. 2 minutes is the optimal time for individuals to eat.
4. In order for piranhas to be healthy and feel good, they need to diversify their diet as much as possible. It is useful to feed fish with shrimp, tadpoles, frozen fish fillets, and finely chopped beef.
5. There is a product that you should not give to your pets - freshwater fish. In general, you cannot feed piranhas with meat alone.
6. Young individuals can be fed with bloodworms, tubifex, worms, and then gradually transferred to an adult diet.

Reproduction and lifespan of piranha

During the breeding season, the female turns upside down. About 3000 eggs can be born at one time. The average size of one egg is one and a half millimeters.

If breeding occurs in an aquarium, you need to remember that in the first days after the birth of offspring, fish are very aggressive, so you should not put your hands into the aquarium or try to touch the fish. Parents need to be separated from their offspring. For this, it is better to use a net with a long handle. Their living conditions should be similar. If you want to breed piranhas at home, you should purchase a spawning tank.

One pair of growers requires about 200 liters of water. The water should be warm - 26-28 degrees. During this period, it is better to add soil instead of pebbles and remove all plants. On the eve of spawning, it is recommended to feed the fish intensively. Professional aquarists breed piranhas using special hormonal drugs. In conditions home care Piranhas can live up to 10 years.

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Piranha is a freshwater fish that belongs to the class ray-finned fish, the subclass new-finned fish, the infraclass bony fish, the superorder Bones, and the order Characinidae. There are two classifications regarding the family. According to one of them, piranha belongs to the characin family (lat. Characidae), according to another - to the piranha family (lat. Serrasalmidae).

There are also different versions regarding the origin of the name piranha. According to one of them, the fish is named from the Portuguese word “pirata” - “pirate”. According to another version, the name comes from the words “pira” and “ania”, which in the language of the Guarani Indians mean “fish” and “evil”, respectively. Sometimes the fish is called “river hyena”, “Caribbean fish”, “devil fish”, “tooth fish”, “tooth demon”, giving nicknames that characterize its character and appearance. Alternatively, the names “piraya” and “piraya” are used.

The sense of smell of predatory species is extremely developed - they sense a drop of blood in a 250-liter pool in 30-40 seconds. Information about the movement of other fish is perfectly captured by the lateral line, causing an instant reaction.

The coloration of members of the family is very diverse and beautiful. Fish can be silver, black, with spots and stripes, sparkles and iridescence. Some species of piranhas change color over the course of their lives. In spotted individuals, the spots on their sides may disappear with age. The color of the fins also varies between species. The fins can be transparent, red, with a dark border, with blue stripes, and so on.

Like other schooling fish, piranhas can produce different-sounding vocal signals. They do not have vocal cords, so fish “talk” using their swim bladder. The fish contracts a special group of muscles at a speed of up to 150 times per second, causing the bubble to vibrate and make a sound. To scare the enemy, piranhas cough or bark. When chasing an enemy, piranhas make sounds similar to drumming. And directly during a physical attack, they croak hoarsely, like frogs.

Where do piranhas live?

The piranha's habitat covers almost all of South America. Piranhas are found in the rivers of the Amazon, Parana, Uruguay, Essequibo, and Orinoco. They are part of the fauna of Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana, Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, and Colombia. Piranhas live in fresh water bodies: rivers, channels, backwaters, and floodplain lakes. The proximity of the sea is avoided. They are unable to reproduce in salt water and can only live in warm waters. The resettlement of these fish does not threaten freezing reservoirs.

Since 2008, reports periodically appear in the media about the capture of piranhas in various lakes and rivers in Russia and Europe. But this does not mean at all that piranhas are found in Russia and European countries. Fish find themselves in unnatural living conditions thanks to their aquarium owners, who get rid of them by releasing them into rivers.

Piranhas lead a gregarious lifestyle. It is typical for both young and adult individuals. They hunt in schools, and it was the school attack that gave birth to the dark glory of these fish. The behavior of predatory piranhas in nature and in an aquarium is different. Predators living in the river are aggressive, not afraid of anything, and attack prey of any size. The attack of piranhas occurs at lightning speed and at once by the entire flock. Fish are attracted to splashes and movement in the water. Once the predator smells blood, nothing can stop it. Eyewitnesses claim that a school of piranhas gnaws a pig weighing up to 50 kg to the bone in 1 minute. In captivity, fish become shy. In stressful situations they behave inappropriately. When shaking the aquarium and hitting it, they fall on their side and fall to the bottom, but quickly calm down and come to their senses.

The famous aggressiveness of piranhas is fully manifested if they are hungry and collected in large quantities on small area reservoir For example, when, during dry periods, schools of piranhas find themselves in a drying river branch, cut off from large waters, or in the narrow banks of shallow rivers. Regardless of their habitat, in stressful situations, piranhas conflict with each other. They often bite off each other's fins and lips, and inflict wounds that heal quite quickly - in 4-6 days.

Herbivorous representatives of the piranha family are peaceful creatures that do not attack anyone, but they themselves can become victims of predators or humans.

What do piranhas eat?

Piranhas are incredibly voracious. Some species feed exclusively on vegetation, while others are predators. The predator piranha feeds on everything that moves in the water: fish, snakes, animals and even birds that land on the water or fly close to the surface of the reservoir. Even crocodiles are afraid of them, which, in an attempt to avoid a sad fate, roll over on their backs, exposing their armored shell to the hungry flock and saving their unprotected belly. Many piranhas eat, among other things, plankton and insect larvae. Flag (pennant) piranha (lat. Catoprion mento) eats scales large fish, including representatives of their family.

In nature, piranhas do not take anything from the bottom, but in aquariums they pick up meat lying on the bottom. Predatory piranhas are prone to cannibalism. They eat relatives caught in a net or on a hook instantly. Also, these fish are capable of destroying all their own kind in the aquarium.

Herbivorous species of the piranha family eat aquatic vegetation and fruits that have fallen into the river.

How long do piranhas live?

In captivity, the lifespan of piranhas ranges from 7 to 15 years, but some individuals live up to 20 years or more. For example, the maximum lifespan of 28 years was recorded for the red pacu. In nature, fish can probably live up to 20 years.

Classification of piranhas

According to information from fishbase.org (data from August 18, 2017), the piranha family includes 97 species of fish, which belong to 16 genera. One genus is extinct.

1. Acnodon (Eigenmann, 1903) - acnodons, or sheep fish
   • Acnodon normani (Gosline, 1951) - Norman's sheepfish, Norman's acnodon
   • Acnodon oligacanthus (Müller & Troschel, 1844)
   • Acnodon senai (Jégu & Santos, 1990)

1. Catoprion (Müller et Troschel, 1844) – pennant piranhas
   • Catoprion mento (Cuvier, 1819) - flag piranha, pennant piranha

1. Colossoma (Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903) - colossomas
   • Colossoma macropomum (Cuvier, 1816) - brown pacu

1. Metynnis (Cope, 1878) - dollar fish, metynnis
   • Metynnis altidorsalis (Ahl, 1923)
   • Metynnis argenteus (Ahl, 1923) - silver dollar fish
   • Metynnis cuiaba (Pavanelli, Ota & Petry, 2009)
   • Metynnis fasciatus (Ahl, 1931)
   • Methynnis guaporensis (Eigenmann, 1915)
   • Metynnis hypsauchen (Müller & Troschel, 1844) - common metynnis, discoid metynnis, mirror fish, Schreimuller's metynnis
   • Metynnis lippincottianus (Cope, 1870) – Roosevelt's metynnis,
   • Metynnis longipinnis (Zarske & Géry, 2008)
   • Metynnis luna (Cope, 1878)
   • Metynnis maculatus (Kner, 1858) - spotted metynnis, spotted dollarfish
   • Metynnis mola (Eigenmann & Kennedy, 1903) – Paraguayan metynnis
   • Metynnis orinocensis (Steindachner, 1908)
   • Metynnis otuquensis (Ahl, 1923)
   • Metynnis polystictus (Zarske & Géry, 2008)

1. Mylesinus (Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1849)
   • Mylesinus paraschomburgkii (Jégu, Santos & Ferreira, 1989)
   • Mylesinus paucisquamatus (Jégu & Santos, 1988)
   • Mylesinus schomburgkii (Valenciennes, 1850) - Guiana mylesin

1. Myleus (Müller et Troschel, 1844) - myleus
   • Myleus altipinnis (Valenciennes, 1850)
   • Myleus knerii (Steindachner, 1881)
   • Myleus latus (Jardine, 1841)
   • Myleus micans (Lütken, 1875)
   • Myleus pacu (Jardine, 1841)
   • Myleus setiger (Müller & Troschel, 1844)

1. Myloplus (Gill, 1896) – mylopluses
   • Myloplus arnoldi (Ahl, 1936)
   • Myloplus asterias (Müller & Troschel, 1844)
   • Myloplus laevis (Eigenmann & McAtee, 1907)
   • Myloplus lobatus (Valenciennes, 1850)
   • Myloplus lucienae (Andrade, Ota, Bastos & Jégu, 2016
   • Myloplus planquettei (Jégu, Keith & Le Bail, 2003
   • Myloplus rhomboidalis (Cuvier, 1818)
   • Myloplus rubripinnis (Müller & Troschel, 1844) - red-finned mileus, star-shaped mileus
   • Myloplus schomburgkii (Jardine, 1841) - ribbon tetra, disc tetra, Schomburgki's mile
   • Myloplus ternetzi (Norman, 1929)
   • Myloplus tiete (Eigenmann & Norris, 1900)
   • Myloplus torquatus (Kner, 1858)
   • Myloplus zorroi (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)

1. Mylossoma (Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903) - mylossomas
   • Mylossoma acanthogaster (Valenciennes, 1850)
   • Mylossoma aureum (Spix & Agassiz, 1829) - golden mylossoma
   • Mylossoma duriventre (Cuvier, 1818) - common mylossoma, keel-bellied mylossoma

1. Ossubtus (Jégu, 1992)
   • Ossubtus xinguense (Jégu, 1992)

1. Piaractus (Eigenmann, 1903) – piaract piranhas
   • Piaractus brachypomus (Cuvier, 1818) - red pacu, red-breasted pacu, two-toothed colossoma
   • Piaractus mesopotamicus (Holmberg, 1887)

1. Pristobrycon (Eigenmann, 1915)
   • Pristobrycon aureus (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
   • Pristobrycon calmoni (Steindachner, 1908)
   • Pristobrycon careospinus (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
   • Pristobrycon maculipinnis (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
   • Pristobrycon striolatus (Steindachner, 1908)

1. Pygocentrus (Müller et Troschel, 1844)
   • Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821)
   • Pygocentrus nattereri (Kner, 1858) - common piranha, Natterer's piranha
   • Pygocentrus palometa (Valenciennes, 1850)
   • Pygocentrus piraya (Cuvier, 1819) – large piranha

1. Pygopristis (J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844) - pygopristis
   • Pygopristis denticulata (Cuvier, 1819) - red-tailed pygopristis, large-toothed pygopristis

1. Serrasalmus (Lacepède, 1803) – piranhas
   • Serrasalmus altispinis (Merckx, Jégu & Santos, 2000)
   • Serrasalmus altuvei (Ramírez, 1965) - Altuve's piranha
   • Serrasalmus auriventris (Burmeister, 1861)
   • Serrasalmus brandtii (Lütken, 1875) - Brandt's piranha
   • Serrasalmus compressus (Jégu, Leão & Santos, 1991)
   • Serrasalmus eigenmanni (Norman, 1929)
   • Serrasalmus elongatus (Kner, 1858) - slender piranha, elongated or gray piramba
   • Serrasalmus emarginatus (Jardine, 1841)
   • Serrasalmus geryi (Jégu & Santos, 1988)
   • Serrasalmus gibbus (Castelnau, 1855)
   • Serrasalmus gouldingi (Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992)
   • Serrasalmus hastatus (Fink & Machado-Allison, 2001)
   • Serrasalmus hollandi (Eigenmann, 1915) - Holland's dwarf piranha
   • Serrasalmus humeralis (Valenciennes, 1850) - spotted-shouldered piranha
   • Serrasalmus irritans (Peters, 1877)
   • Serrasalmus maculatus (Kner, 1858)
   • Serrasalmus manueli (Fernández-Yépez & Ramírez, 1967) - Manuel's marbled pygocenter
   • Serrasalmus marginatus (Valenciennes, 1837)
   • Serrasalmus medinai (Ramírez, 1965)
   • Serrasalmus nalseni (Fernández-Yépez, 1969)
   • Serrasalmus neveriensis (Machado-Allison, Fink, López Rojas & Rodenas, 1993)
   • Serrasalmus nigricans (Spix & Agassiz, 1829)
   • Serrasalmus nigricauda (Burmeister, 1861)
   • Serrasalmus odyssei (Hubert & Renno, 2010)
   • Serrasalmus rhombeus (Linnaeus, 1766) - diamondback piranha
   • Serrasalmus sanchezi (Géry, 1964) - Sanchez's malachite pyrambeba
   • Serrasalmus scotopterus (Jardine, 1841)
   • Serrasalmus serrulatus (Valenciennes, 1850) - Guiana sawfish
   • Serrasalmus spilopleura (Kner, 1858) - spotted piranha, fire-mouthed pyrambeba
   • Serrasalmus stagnatilis (Jardine, 1841)
   • Serrasalmus undulatus (Jardine, 1841)

1. Tometes (Cuvier et Valenciennes, 1849)
   • Tometes ancylorhynchus (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)
   • Tometes camunani (Andrade, Giarrizzo & Jégu, 2013)
   • Tometes kranponhah (Andrade, Jégu & Giarrizzo, 2016)
   • Tometes lebaili (Jégu, Keith & Belmont-Jégu, 2002)
   • Tometes makue (Jégu, Santos & Belmont-Jégu, 2002)
   • Tometes trilobatus (Valenciennes, 1850)

1. Utiaritichthys (Miranda Ribeiro, 1937)
   • Utiaritichthys esguiceroi (Pereira & Castro, 2014)
   • Utiaritichthys longidorsalis (Jégu, Tito de Morais & Santos, 1992)
   • Utiaritichthys sennaebragai (Miranda Ribeiro, 1937)

1. †Megapiranha (Cione et al., 2009)
   • Megapiranha paranensis is an extinct species.

By the way, the fish Megapiranha paranensis, which became extinct about 8-10 million years ago, reached 0.95-1.28 meters in length and weighed about 73 kilograms. According to calculations carried out by scientists, the bite force of the giant piranha relative to the body mass exceeded that of other known vertebrates, including tyrannosaurs. The megapiranha's bite force reached 1240-4749 newtons, which means that the fish could hold an animal weighing 480 kg with its jaws.

Types of piranhas, names and photos

Below is a description of some species from the piranha family:

• Common piranha (Natterer's piranha) (lat.Pygocentrus nattereri) very dangerous for humans. In its habitat it is called “saikanga”. One of the names was given to the fish in honor of the Austrian scientist Johann Natterer.

The maximum length of the dense disc-shaped body of the fish reaches 60 cm. But usually Natterer’s piranhas have smaller sizes: 25-35 cm. Young individuals are very brightly and beautifully colored. Their body is blue, with a darker back and evenly scattered dark spots. The chest and paired fins are red, the caudal fin is black with a wide blue vertical stripe. The common piranha has this coloration for up to 7-8 months. As they grow older, fish change colors. After the body length exceeds 8 cm, it becomes gray-silver, the sides turn pink, the spots on them fade and disappear, and small golden sparkles appear. The anal fin becomes lighter in color and becomes red with the onset of mating season. Adult piranhas, depending on their mood and condition, are either black with a slight bluish tint and with golden sparkles, or plain black with a red bottom (during the mating season).

The teeth of the common piranha are similar to a saw, with which they can cut pieces of meat from the body of the victim. The lower teeth are larger, the upper teeth are smaller. Females are slightly larger and thicker than males. In addition, they can be distinguished by other characteristics. The keel of the male's abdomen from the front looks like the Latin letter V, and in females it looks like a U. The shape of the anal fin of the male is pointed, while that of the female is rounded.

Common piranhas are found in the rivers of Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, and Guyana.

• Red pacu (red-breasted pacu, two-toothed colossoma) (lat.Piaractus brachypomus, syn.Colossoma bidens) is a herbivorous (herbivorous) species native to Brazil.

The body length of the aquarium fish does not exceed 45 cm, although in nature the pacu grows up to 88 cm. The fish has a bluish-gray body color with silvery scales, a red chest and lower fins. The dorsal fin is elongated, the anal fin is serrated. The edge of the tail has a black frame. Juveniles have dark spots on their sides.

• Diamondback piranha(lat.Serrasalmus rhombeus) got its name from its body shape. Sometimes it is also given the name "black piranha" or "black Brazilian piranha." In addition, this fish is also called the Caribbean red eye - “Caribe ojo rojo”.

It reaches 38 cm in length (according to other sources, 41.5 cm). Most often, the diamond-shaped piranha is colored silver with a greenish or bluish tint, and a stripe runs along the edge of the tail.

The homeland of the fish is Guyana, the Amazon, La Plata.

• has an elongated body measuring no more than 25-30 cm. The color of the fish is silver-gray, the abdomen is reddish, the anal fin is dark, and the tail has a dark border.

The slender piranha lives in the Amazon and Orinoco river basins.

• Dwarf piranha (lat.Serrasalmus hollandi) named for its small size. The length of her body reaches a maximum of 15 cm. But despite this, she is dangerous predator. The color of the fish is silver with dark spots. The anal fin is red and there is a black border at the end of the tail.

The body and head are elongated. There is a hump at the back of the head.

• Brown pacu (lat.Colossoma macropomum)- a large fish, about 70 cm in length, can reach 108 cm. The body is colored brown, gray and black and their variations. The brown pacu has square teeth, similar to human teeth.

The fish loves solitude: schooling in the brown pacu is less pronounced than in other piranhas.

Reproduction (spawning) of piranhas

Piranhas become sexually mature after one and a half years. At this time, their gender is quite distinguishable. Spawning is seasonal and paired. Mature pairs conduct long pre-spawning games. The color of excited piranhas changes at this time: for example, Natterer's piranhas become black with a bright red bottom.

The couple has a certain area that they fiercely protect from aliens. At dawn, with the first rays of the sun, females spawn eggs on washed tree roots, floating aquatic plants or on the ground. Immediately after this, the piranha eggs are fertilized. Males guard the clutches. Optimal temperature for the production of offspring is 26-28°C.

The eggs range in size from 2 to 4 mm. The color of caviar can vary from transparent amber to yellowish-green. The number of eggs spawned varies from 500 to 15,000 (depending on the type of fish). The incubation period is 2-15 days (also depending on the type of fish and water temperature), after which the eggs hatch into larvae.

Piranhas are very beautiful and spectacular fish that can decorate any aquarium. They are quite unpretentious. In predatory species, aggression in an aquarium is much less evident than in the wild: here individuals are present in small numbers and have enough food. Small schools of piranhas in an aquarium are shy, nervous, do not like bright lighting and do well when the surface of the water is covered aquatic plants. Here are the basic rules for keeping aquarium piranhas:

Aquarium size

Since the size of the fish is rather large, they need long and large aquariums - with a volume of about 200-500 liters or more. Young fish in the amount of 5-8 pieces can be kept in a 100-120 liter aquarium for up to a year. After a year, the volume should be increased to at least 200 liters.

Vegetation and shelters

The aquarium should contain bushy vegetation, snags and stones in which the fish can hide. Plants can be either live or artificial.

Optimal parameters

• for metinnis and mylosom - temperature from 22 to 27 degrees Celsius, dKH< 1°, dGH до 5°, pH 6,5 … 7,0;
• for colossoms – temperature from 26 to 30 degrees Celsius, dKH< 2°, dGH до 14°, pH 6,0 … 7,2;
• for fish of the piranha genus - temperature from 26 to 28 degrees Celsius, dKH< 2°, dGH до 14°, pH 6,2 … 7,2.

Water filtration

Piranhas love clean water. If it is not changed for a long time, predatory species become wild and attack each other. Regular filtration, air blowing or aeration, partial water replacement and cleaning the soil with a siphon are required.

Reproduction

For breeding piranhas, an aquarium of 200-350 liters is suitable, in which ¼ of the water volume should be changed daily and the temperature should be maintained at 24-28 °C. Under natural conditions, piranhas spawn in rivers with running water, so in an artificial reservoir it is necessary to install a filter that purifies the water and creates a current. The layer of pebbles at the bottom should be at least 5 cm thick. Some species lay eggs on vegetation, others on the ground, and still others in spawning holes in the ground.

A new aquarium is not necessary for reproduction: you can also use one where the fish live on constant conditions, but at the same time it is necessary to resettle their neighbors. After the female lays eggs, they are removed. When the fry begin to grow, they are sorted by size and also transplanted, otherwise they will eat each other. Transplanting and catching piranhas should be done very carefully: fish sometimes jump out of the aquarium, and predatory individuals can even bite you.

What to feed piranhas?

Feeding predatory piranhas

Young predatory piranhas can be fed with regular live food for aquarium fish. Adult predators eat meat, fish, and seafood.

• Fish

Fish is the best and natural food for piranha. river fish It is not advisable to give it, since it can bring various pests. Piranhas are usually fed live, inexpensive, small aquarium fish: swordtails, guppies, goldfish. If the fish are very small, piranhas may not eat them immediately, but wait until the prey grows. They also eat dead fish with pleasure, for example, capelin. If the fish is longer than 10 cm, it must be cut: remove the head, gut it, and remove the fat.

• Seafood

They feed domestic piranhas and seafood: squid meat, shrimp.

• Meat

Reserve food is meat: beef, heart, poultry. In an aquarium, piranhas clearly indicate their food preferences: they immediately attack some types of meat, others eat reluctantly, and others do not eat at all. It is impossible to feed piranhas with meat, as this leads to obesity and, as a result, to infertility. Periodically you need to arrange fasting days or create a large flow of water in the aquarium. But pets cannot be underfed, otherwise they become aggressive and can injure or even eat each other.

The way piranhas eat can tell their condition. If they are not active, do not fight for food, do not tear prey, it means that they do not feel their best, and they are not satisfied with the conditions of their detention. In this case, you need to change the water or its temperature and aeration mode, or look for other reasons.

Feeding herbivorous piranhas

Herbivorous species (metinnis, mileev) are fed with cabbage, lettuce, nettles, spinach, chopped or pureed vegetables (for example, cucumbers and zucchini). Sometimes the diet is diluted with live bloodworms or tubifex, which should not exceed 20% of total number food. Residues of food are removed from the aquarium so that they do not pollute the water.

Compatibility of piranhas in an aquarium

Piranhas leading predatory image life, practically do not get along with other species of fish in the aquarium. At unfavorable conditions they even attack their relatives. Some individuals can swim in a school of predators for months, but then suddenly, probably having made some erroneous movement, they are instantly attacked, and from all sides at once. With the same lightning speed, a school pounces on fish that are stuck in plants or stones and begin to fight. Sick and injured piranha fish are identified and eaten instantly.

But there are species of fish that piranhas do not attack. For example, some South American catfish from the genus Hoplosternum coexist quite peacefully with predators. These catfish periodically swim up to the piranhas and remove something from the sides: probably pests that interfere with the life of the piranhas. Obviously, there is a mutually beneficial relationship between these genera in nature.

Taken from the site: aquapiter.com

Aquarium piranhas, names and photos

Metinnis and milei are quite often bred in aquariums - quite peaceful fish from the piranha family. In nature, they feed on aquatic plants, fruits, and small mollusks. Metinnis have a body length of about 15 cm and are silver in color. Species differ in shades of colors and the presence of spots.

• Metinnis silvery (silver dollar fish) (lat. Metynnis argenteus)

This is a relatively small fish, which has a body length of 10 to 14 cm. The color of metinnis is silver-gray, dark warts are scattered over the body. The anal fin of the male is veiled, while that of the female is straight and reddish.

The homeland of the fish is the rivers of the Orinoco and Amazon basins.

Taken from: www.bidorbuy.co.za

• Metinnis spotted (spotted dollar fish) (lat.Metynnis maculatus)

Reaches 12-15 cm in length and has spots on the sides.

The Metinnis fish comes from the Guapore River, which belongs to the Amazon River basin.

Taken from the site: fishmarket.org.ua

• Metinnis vulgaris ( aka Metinnis Schreimuller, mirror fish) (lat. Metynnis hypsauchen)

This is a 15-centimeter fish of silver color, with a white belly and transparent fins. The back of the metinnis can have different shades: grayish-blue, brown or green. The scales have a blue, yellow or greenish tint. The end of the anal fin is red. The body of the fish is high and round, strongly flattened on the sides. There may be black transverse stripes and spots along the sides.

Metinnis in nature ordinary lives in the Amazon and Paraguay rivers.

Found in the rivers of Guyana, Suriname and the Amazon.

Dimensions are 10-25 cm, in an aquarium it grows up to 15 cm. The fish has a silver-gray body color and a reddish anal fin. There are individuals with a reddish belly and red-gold spots on the body. The anal fin of the male has a long outer braid and a notch.

The meaning of piranhas in nature

Herbivorous species of the piranha family, such as Metinnis, are of great benefit by clearing water bodies of vegetation. Predatory piranhas regulate populations by destroying sick and weak river inhabitants.

In some rivers in Brazil, people tried to poison these fish with poison. As a result, the piranhas were not harmed, and the harm was caused only to other inhabitants of the reservoirs.

All piranhas are completely edible. They are the object of fishing for the Indians living along the reservoirs in which this fish is found.

• Robert Schomburgk, a German explorer serving the British Crown, explored the territories of South America and made some discoveries. According to his testimony, piranhas, which he called river hyenas, are the most bloodthirsty, ferocious and scary predators. They eat an animal of any size trying to swim across a river. Jaguars are afraid of them. In order to get drunk, the jaguar hits the water with its paw, and when a school of piranhas rushes to this place, it jumps back and drinks the water already a few meters away from the fish that have started a fight and tearing at each other. Horses, dogs and other animals do the same.
• Amazonian natives collect jaws and teeth of predators, using them as knives or scissors.
• The Indians of some tribes, who have a custom of preserving the skeletons of deceased relatives, lower the corpse into the river for a while, wrapping it in a net. They take out the completely gnawed skeleton.
• Despite their creepy reputation, piranhas themselves have been preyed upon by caimans, river dolphins, large aquatic turtles, larger fish and humans.
• They live in the rivers of Africa tiger fish, which belong to the same order as piranhas. The sharp teeth of tiger fish can also cause deep wounds to a person bathing.