Red Bellied Piranha

Come and see the fish made famous in the movies as being able to reduce a large mammal to a skeleton.

Piranha Feeding Frenzy

Piranhas have blunt heads and powerful jaws. There sharp, wedge-shaped teeth are like mesh cutting shears that enable the fish to cut flesh from their prey which included birds, amphibians and mammals.

Piranhas hunt in groups and swim so they all face the same direction. This helps them look out for predators as well as each other.

The shoals are attracted to commotion and the scent of blood and once aroused they can quickly reduce a large mammals to a skeleton, although such incidents are rare.

Piranha Hunt using their Excellent Senses

Piranhas are adept hunters as they have excellent senses.

Hearing:
They have an organ called the labyrinth, which is located within the skull. There is a small chain of bones, which connect the inner ear to the swim bladder, which acts as an amplifier.

Sight:
The eyes of the piranha are adapted for seeing in the daylight, but have a reflective layer, which enhances their night vision, this is similar to the eyes of a cat. It is said that they see colour and may even see more colours than humans do. They are also nearsighted and rely on other senses to find prey that isn't passing close to them.

Smell:
Water flowing through the nostrils passes over a highly sensitive membrane, which connects, to the portion of the brain where the sense of smell comes from. This gives them a very acute sense of smell.