There are many types of piranhas in the world, and most of them are carnivorous, aggressive, and extremely ferocious. While only a handful of piranhas are omnivorous, the vast majority are beastly predators. Among them, some common piranhas include red-bellied fish, red diamond fish, black fish, cochineal, giant yellow croaker, yellow diamond fish, baotou fish, money fish, redfin fish, and many more. Some of them tend to live in groups, while others tend to be more solitary. Let's take a look.
1. Red-bellied piranha
In the gentle flow of the Amazon basin in South America and the surrounding shallow ponds and lakes, there is mainly a species of piranha called Ness's hip carp, commonly known as the red-bellied piranha. This species is one of the world's most famous piranhas, commonly found in its native area, and is known by locals as a well-known sport fishing and food fish, as well as a popular ornamental fish.
The red-bellied piranha has an oval body shape, a broad back, a huge head, thick and powerful jaws, and two rows of sharp teeth in the upper and lower shapes, which are dagger-shaped and unusually sharp. Fishermen fishing in the Amazon basin would not dare to unhook a red-bellied piranha with their bare hands if they catch it, because the slightest mistake could lead to the risk of losing their fingers.
2. Red diamond piranha
The Sanche's saw carp, commonly known as the red diamond piranha, is mainly found in areas such as the Pacaya and Ucayali rivers in Peru. As a high-profile member of the piranha family, the Red Diamond Piranha has received a lot of attention and a large community of keepers. This piranha is loved for its eye-catching appearance and unique characteristics.
The red diamond piranha is not red all over, but is confined to the posterior half of the gill operculum and abdomen, with the rest of the body being a lead-gray contrast. And the "red diamonds" on the body of the red diamond piranha seem to be distributed in one piece. This piranha can be up to 20 centimeters long and has a slightly pointed snout, showing a dingo-like aura. When people put their fingers on the surface of the water and swim around the red diamond piranhas chasing food, the diamond scales on their bodies will shine due to the reflection, making it highly ornamental.
3. Black piranha
Black piranhas are mainly found in South America, living in the Amazon Basin, Orinoco River Basin, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru and other places. With blood-red eyes and oppressive body shape, this piranha is a popular breeding object for piranha enthusiasts, and it is also one of the entry and essential species for piranha farming.
The black piranha has an amazing bite force and is able to exert pressure equivalent to 30 times its own body weight, and this "special move" is unique in nature. Although animals such as great white sharks, coyotes, and alligators have stronger bite forces, the relative strength of black piranhas is still staggering considering the overall size and the ratio of body weight to bite force.
4. Rouge piranha
The glamorous hip carp, commonly known as the piranha, is mainly found in the St. Francis River basin. This piranha can grow to about 50 centimeters, making it one of the larger piranha species and one of the most popular piranhas worldwide. Known for its bulldog-like face, steep forehead and silver-gray eyes, the Rouge Piranha resembles an oil canvas with red, purple and yellow flame patterns.
This rouge piranha has powerful jaws and extremely sharp teeth, making it easy to get irritable and become more ferocious. Its unique appearance and colorful colors make it one of the beloved aquarium fish. Studies have shown that the cochineal piranhas exhibit an unusually swift and forceful aggression when hunting, which is breathtaking.
5. Giant yellow piranha
The Venezuelan hip carp, commonly known as the giant yellow piranha, is a giant yellow-bellied piranha that is mainly found in the Cuiabá River basin in South America. Compared to the red-bellied piranha, this species is less widespread and abundant, although the origin mostly coincides with the red-bellied piranha.
The belly of the giant yellow piranha is orange or golden yellow, while the rest of the body is silvery-gray and dotted with diamond spots of shiny metallic colors. As the "big man" of the piranha family, the giant yellow piranha gives the first impression of a red-bellied piranha with a large body and a golden body color.
6. Yellow diamond piranha
Dark banded saw carp, commonly known as yellow diamond piranha, is mainly distributed in the Olinoco River, Putumayo River, Amazon River, Madeira River, Paraguay River and other river basins in South America. One of the most popular piranha species, the Yellow Diamond Piranha is known for its brilliant and colorful body color. It has a silvery-gray back, and gradually changes its color to a bright yellow downward, a shining golden yellow when it reaches the abdomen, and a bright yellow on the pelvic and anal fins, giving it a stylish and gorgeous appearance.
The Yellow Diamond Piranha has a huge head, and its bite power is no less than that of the average black piranha. When faced with the invasion of an unfamiliar force, no matter how strong the opponent is, the Yellow Diamond Piranha will immediately launch a ferocious bite.
7. Baotou piranha
The lower saw carp, commonly known as the Baotou piranha, is mainly distributed in the Amazon, Orinoco, Paraguay and other river basins in Brazil. This piranha is characterized by an extremely long lower jaw, much longer than the upper jaw, while the tips of the dorsal and anal fins are also elongated, creating a graceful "drifting fin" character. The body length of the Baotou piranha can reach up to 15 centimeters.
Despite its name, it is actually a scalivore, and it has a unique feeding pattern, usually swimming quickly to other fish and scraping their scales with its upper and lower jaws, unlike other saw carp piranhas, which feed on fish.
The predatory behavior of the piranha does not directly lead to the death of other fish species, so it is ecologically classified as a parasitic behavior.
8. Money piranha
The spiny sawworm carp, commonly known as the golden piranha, is mainly found in places such as the Atababo River and Venezuela in the Orinoco River basin. The money piranha is characterized by its large head and blunt snout, while the fat fins are broad and the head is silvery-orange, while the red color is mainly distributed in the mandibular area. The entire body is greenish-orange with round or oval black spots, and the fins are bright red and can reach up to 17 cm in length.
The piranhas are predatory fish and often attack the tails of other fish. Their range of food includes aquatic insects and crustaceans such as shrimp, which makes them an important part of the ecosystem. Money piranhas are usually relatively independent and show the characteristics of solitary habits in life.
9. Red-winged piranhas
The spotfin sawthrift carp, commonly known as the red-winged piranha, is mainly found in the Atacavi River and other watersheds in southern Venezuela. This piranha can reach up to 30 centimeters in length and is characterized by its silvery body and large black spots, with dark red fins and bright pupils. Red-winged piranhas have a lower jaw that is more prominent than the upper jaw and the lower row of teeth are exposed. This piranha is extremely sensitive to the smell of blood, and although it is not very large, once it bites its prey, it will bite until it tears the meat off.
10. Indian warrior piranha
The Gree's saw carp, commonly known as the Indian warrior piranha, is mainly distributed in the basins of the Amazon and Token rivers in South America, and is active in the bottom and middle waters. This piranha has a high diamond-shaped body, a large triangular head, red eyes, diagonal slits, thick jaws, an iron-gray undertone, and diamond scales that dot its body, showing a rugged and fierce appearance.
Indian warrior piranhas can reach up to 30 centimeters in length. It has a fierce personality, likes to live alone, and shows a strong sense of territory. They are usually solitary hunters and do not engage in group attacks, preferring to hunt and defend their territory alone.