Piranha fish have razor-sharp teeth and often move in schools, but can they really “strip” their prey in just a few minutes?
Kristine Grzenda, who oversees behavior and welfare at the Audubon Aquarium in New Orleans, USA, states that many species of Piranha are omnivorous. For example, the red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) – known to attack humans – tends to eat fish, crustaceans, insects, plants, fruits, nuts, and seeds. Some individuals of this species have even been found with pieces of bird, snake, and small mammal meat in their stomachs.
Piranhas can be found in groups ranging from under 10 to 100 individuals.
“The red-bellied piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) is omnivorous, while other species such as Tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum), a close relative of the piranha, are herbivorous.
Kristine Grzenda notes that piranhas can be found in groups of fewer than 10 to as many as 100, but this behavior is more about self-protection (in schools) rather than hunting. She states: “They have a role in the food chain as both predators and prey. However, like other animals, piranhas can become more aggressive if their food sources become scarce.”
Allison Waltz-Hill, a senior fish keeper at the New England Aquarium’s Temperate Gallery, told Live Science that a piranha can move and consume prey quickly.
“Imagine, an average adult red-bellied piranha weighs about 541 grams and can eat around 12 grams of food in one meal, which takes about 30 seconds. However, in the case of an extremely hungry piranha, they can consume 68 grams of food in the same amount of time.”
Check out the video of a school of piranhas “stripping” a cow’s head at an astonishing speed. The water boils as the piranhas swarm in to tear apart their meal.
