The top 10 largest piranhas in the world, the overlord of fish schools

There are many types of piranhas in the world, most of them are carnivorous, aggressive and extremely ferocious. Although only a few piranhas are omnivorous, the vast majority are ferocious predators. Among them, some common piranhas include red-bellied fish, red diamond fish, black fish, mullet fish, giant yellow croaker, yellow diamond fish, bald fish, gold fish, red wing fish, etc. Some species prefer to live in groups, while others prefer to be solitary. Let’s take a look below.

1. Red-bellied piranha

A type of piranha called Nessian piranha, commonly known as the red-bellied piranha, is mainly distributed in the gentle flow areas of the Amazon basin in South America and in surrounding shallow ponds and lakes. The number of this species is extremely large and it is one of the world-famous piranhas. It is commonly found in its place of origin and is used by locals as a famous sport fish and edible fish. It is also 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 shape of daggers, which are extremely sharp. If fishermen engaged in fishing in the Amazon basin catch a red-bellied piranha, they will never dare to remove the hook rashly with bare hands, because a little carelessness may lead to the risk of losing fingers.

2. Red Diamond Piranha

Sanche's serrata, commonly known as the red diamond piranha, is mainly distributed in the Pacaya and Ucayali rivers in Peru. As a high-profile member of the piranha family, the red diamond piranha has received widespread attention and its breeder community is also very large. This piranha is beloved for its striking appearance and unique characteristics.

The red diamond piranha is not red all over, but only on the back half of the gill cover and abdomen, while the rest of the body is lead-grey, creating a sharp contrast. The "red diamonds" on the Red Diamond Piranha seem to be distributed in whole pieces. This piranha can reach 20 centimeters in length, has a slightly pointed snout, and exhibits an aura similar to that of a wild dog. When people put their fingers on the water and swim, the diamond scales on the body of the red diamond piranha will shine due to reflection as it chases food, making it highly ornamental.

3. Black piranha

Black piranhas are mainly distributed in South America, living in the Amazon Basin, Orinoco River Basin, Guyana, Venezuela, Peru and other places. This kind of piranha has blood-red eyes and an oppressive body shape. It is a common breeding target for piranha enthusiasts and is also one of the entry-level and essential species for piranha breeding.

The black piranha has an amazing bite force and can exert pressure equivalent to 30 times its own body weight. This "nirvana" is unique in nature. While animals like great white sharks, coyotes, and alligators have more powerful bites, the relative strength of the black piranha is still staggering when considering overall size and the ratio of weight to bite force.

4. Rouge Piranha

The charming-butted piranha, commonly known as the rouge piranha, is mainly found in the St. Francis River Basin. This piranha can grow to about 50 centimeters and is one of the larger piranha species. It is also one of the most popular piranhas around the world. The rouge piranha is known for its bulldog-like face, high steep forehead and silver-grey eyes. Its body resembles an oil painting panel, with colorful flame patterns of red, purple and yellow.

This rouge piranha has powerful jaws and extremely sharp teeth, making it prone to becoming agitated and becoming more ferocious. Its unique appearance and colorful colors make it one of the most popular ornamental fish. Research shows that the rouge piranha exhibits an unusually fast and powerful attack when hunting, which is breathtaking.

5. Giant yellow piranha

The Venezuelan piranha, commonly known as the giant yellow piranha, is a giant yellow-bellied piranha that is mainly distributed in the Cuiaba River Basin in South America. Compared with the red-bellied piranha, the distribution range and quantity of this fish species are inferior, although most of its origins coincide with the red-bellied piranha.

The abdomen of the giant yellow piranha is orange or golden, while the rest of the body is silvery gray and dotted with shiny metallic diamond spots. As the "big man" in the piranha family, the first impression given by the giant yellow piranha is that of the larger and golden red-bellied piranha.

6. Yellow diamond piranha

The dark-banded piranha, commonly known as the yellow diamond piranha, is mainly distributed in the Orinoco 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 colorful body colors. Its back is silvery gray, and the color gradually transitions downwards to a vivid bright yellow, and when it reaches the abdomen, it is a shining golden yellow. The pelvic fins and anal fins also show bright yellow, showing a fashionable and gorgeous appearance.

The head of the yellow diamond piranha is huge, and its bite force is no less powerful than that of the ordinary black piranha. When faced with the invasion of strange forces, no matter how powerful the opponent is, the Yellow Diamond Piranha will immediately launch a ferocious bite.

7. Baotou Piranha

The lower serratus, commonly known as the Baotou piranha, is mainly distributed in the Amazon River, Orinoco River, Paraguay River and other river basins in Brazil. This piranha is characterized by an extremely long lower jaw, far longer than the upper jaw, and the tips of its dorsal and anal fins are also elongated, forming a graceful "floating fin" feature. The body length of the Baotou piranha can reach up to 15 cm. Although named after "piranha", it is actually a scale-eating animal. It adopts a unique way of feeding. It usually swims quickly to other fish and uses its upper and lower jaws to scrape off their scales. This is different from other fish-based animals. The serratus piranhas are somewhat different.

The predatory behavior of Baotou piranha does not directly cause the death of other fish, so it is classified as a parasitic behavior in ecology.

8. Money Piranha

Acanthus acanthus, commonly known as money piranha, is mainly distributed in the Atabapo River in the Orinoco River Basin and Venezuela. The money piranha is characterized by its large head and blunt snout, as well as its wide adipose fin, silvery-orange color on the head, and red mainly in the lower jaw area. The entire body is green-orange and covered with round or oval black spots. The fins are bright red and the body length can be up to 17 cm.

The money piranha is a predatory fish and often attacks other fish on their tails. Their food range includes aquatic insects and crustaceans such as shrimp, making them an important part of the ecosystem. Money piranhas are usually relatively independent and show withdrawn characteristics in their living habits.

9. Red-winged piranha

Spotted piranha, commonly known as red-winged piranha, is mainly distributed in the Atakahui River and other watersheds in southern Venezuela. This piranha can reach up to 30 centimeters in length and is characterized by its silver body with large black spots, dark red fins and bright pupils. The lower jaw of the red-winged piranha is relatively low, more protruding than the upper jaw, and the lower row of teeth is exposed. This kind of piranha is extremely sensitive to the smell of blood. Although it is not very large, once it bites its prey, it will bite hard until the meat is torn off.

10. Indian Warrior Piranha

Grizzly's serratus, commonly known as the Indian warrior piranha, is mainly distributed in the Amazon River and Tonkin River basins in South America, and moves in the bottom and middle waters. This piranha has a high rhombus-shaped body, a large triangular head, red eyes, a diagonal slit, a thick jaw, an iron-gray background, and diamond scales embellished on its body, showing a rough and fierce appearance.

The body length of the Indian warrior piranha can reach up to 30 cm. It has a fierce personality, likes to live alone, and shows a strong sense of territory. They are usually solitary hunters and do not participate in group attacks, preferring to hunt alone and defend their territory.

animal tags： Piranha