|
Join Our Sponsored Forums |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
Piranha serrasalmus nattereri
Piranha are found in the Amazon region of South America. They are usually found in fast moving streams, and travel in large groups. These fish are also suitable for aquarium life. Young Piranha can be identified by the dark grey spots that appear on them above their lateral line. As the Piranha becomes mature these spots will dissipate. When reaching maturity they also get their signature red belly. This appears below their lateral line; their anal fin also turns red. At maturity Piranha can reach 12 inches in the wild and sometimes larger in aquarium environments. While Piranhas in the wild often hunt in packs, which makes it easier for them to subdue larger prey, aquarium Piranhas are much more shy. When kept as pets, Piranhas prefer to reside in caves or behind plants to conceal themselves. The above image was taken at the shop. Having researched this fish on the internet, I have come to the conclusion nobody knows much about them. There are so many conflicting viewpoints about ferocity, tameness, dangerous, docile. Piranha are a very misunderstood fish. Most people think of them as vicious hunters that will attack a person every chance they get. This is not true. While Piranhas in the wild often hunt in packs, which makes it easier for them to subdue larger prey, aquarium Piranhas are much more shy. When kept as pets, Piranhas prefer to reside in caves or behind plants to conceal themselves. I have never been bitten by my pet Piranha and I have no fear of her. Whenever I reach my hand into her tank for something she swims away from me to hide. So, next time you think of this great fish remember that it is just as afraid of you as you are of it! The Piranha can be a great pet, provided it is cared for properly. The stocky body is silvery-green with a reddish belly. The deep head has short, powerful jaws with triangular, interlocking, razor sharp teeth. Size of average adult 6 - 8 inches. Thanks to the movies, piranhas have a fearsome reputation in the popular psyche. But of the some 20 species of the fish in the Amazon, most are vegetarian, which explains why piranha are able to co-exist with other fish species. If all piranha were as predatory as the most carnivorous piranha species -- the red-bellied piranha -- there would be scarcely any fish left in the Amazon. This is because the red-bellied piranha's razor sharp teeth can shred flesh from bone in a matter of seconds. Piranhas replace their teeth throughout their life. However, instead of replacing them one by one, they shed them in quarters. By this I mean that they will lose all teeth in say the bottom left quarter of the jaw, then maybe the right upper quarter etc. In this way, they will only ever have a quarter of their jaw 'toothless' at most. The new teeth grow within a couple of days. The reason for this type of shedding is due to the dental anatomy of the piranha. Each tooth interlocks with the teeth on either side of it. This means that there is NO gap of gum line between the teeth, so there is a continuous cutting edge. This enables them to cleanly clip out chunks of flesh from their prey. And finally, This fearsome-looking fish has an evil reputation. The Red Piranha is found in South America from the River Plate to the Orinoco. It is a small ugly-looking fish, with a deep, blunt head and short powerful jaws armed with razor-sharp, interlocked teeth. It is carnivorous, but there are some related species that feed only on fruits and seeds. In larger lakes and lagoons, swimmers and bathers generally go unmolested by these fishes. Similarly, riverine populations represent no great threat. Dangerous situations occur in the dry season when the lakes and lagoons shrink, allowing the Red Piranhas to congregate in large numbers. Any animal or human entering these waters would be readily attacked. Piranha-infested waters are easily detected by the commotion they cause while attacking fishes stranded on the shoreline. It has always been thought that blood was the major stimulant to Red Piranhas. It seems, however, that Red Piranhas are more readily attracted to noise and splashing by which they recognise a wounded animal in the water.
|
||||||||
|
All information on this site is provided by the webmaster and, should there be a pricing error, it is my fault and not the shop or its staff. Any prices marked on stock shown on these pages were correct at the time the image was taken. If you have a question regarding the site Click to email me Erdington Aquatics 97-99 Church Road Erdington Birmingham B24 9BE England Telephone: 0121 373 1100 |
||||||||
|
© aquatic-store.co.uk |
||||||||
