Ferocious Piranha Invades America - World Documentary Channel

A piranha or pirana is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that populates South American streams. In Venezuela, they are called caribes. They are recognized for their sharp teeth, effective jaws, as well as starved cravings for meat.
Traditionally, just the 4 genera Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, Pygopristis, and also Serrasalmus are taken into consideration to be real piranhas, due to their specificed teeth. A recent analysis revealed, if the piranha team is to be monophyletic, it needs to be restricted to Serrasalmus, Pygocentrus, and also part of Pristobrycon, or broadened to include these taxa plus Pygopristis, Catoprion, and also Pristobrycon striolatus.

Ferocious Piranha Invades America

The complete number of piranha types is unknown and also objected to, and new types continuously be described. Estimates range from fewer compared to 30 to more than 60.
Piranhas are native to the Amazon basin, in the Orinoco, in rivers of the Guianas, in the Paraguay-Paraná, as well as the São Francisco River systems.
Aquarium piranhas have been unsuccessfully introduced into parts of the United States. In lots of cases, nonetheless, reported captures of piranhas are misidentifications of pacu (e.g., red-bellied pacu Piaractus brachypomus is often misidentified as red-bellied piranha Pygocentrus nattereri). Study is being lugged out to establish how piranhas have actually moved to such remote edges of the world from their initial environment.
Piranhas are normally about 14 to 26 cm long (5.5 to 10.25 in), although some samplings have been stated to be up to 43 cm (17.0 in) in length.
Serrasalmus, Pristobrycon, Pygocentrus, as well as Pygopristis are most easily recognized by their one-of-a-kind teeth. All piranhas have a solitary row of sharp teeth in both mouths; the teeth are snugly loaded as well as interlocking (through little cusps) and also are utilized for quick leak as well as shearing. Specific teeth are generally extensively triangular, pointed, as well as blade-like (level in profile). The variation in the variety of cusps is small; in many types, the teeth are tricuspid containing a larger middle cusp which makes the specific teeth appear noticeably triangular. The exception is Pygopristis, which has actually pentacuspid teeth and also a mid cusp normally simply somewhat larger compared to the other cusps.