Piranhas (English)

When people hear the word piranha,a monster which is famous for its agressive and offensive behaviors comes to peopl's mind. Although piranhas are not monsters,it is clear that they are agressive and offensive species. Firstly i will tell basic information about piranha and the kinds of piranhas and then i will introduce some spesific piranhas. As most people considere,piranhas have agressive and offensive behaviours In the other words they are wild animals. I want to emphisize that piranhas don't live in the sea or in the ocean because it is knonw by most people that piranhas live in the sea. This is completely wrong. Piranhas live in fresh water and their homeland is Amazon River in Brazil. Amazon River is the second longest river in the world,it is approximately 6.400 km long, and it is located in a very large area of The South America. Amozan River includes firstly Brazil,and some other countries which are around Brazil these are Peru,Colombia and venezuelan etc. In addition to being so long, Amazon River also covers very large parts of The South America in terms of wideness and piranhas live in that great Amazon River as well. Amazon is a tropical area and as it includes rain forests,it has a warm climate. Therefore piranhas live in these warm amazon waters which are approximately 22-28 degrees.



Pygocentrus Nattereri

 Piranhas completely have a pack psychology and they have a great hunter instict. The fuzzy water of Amazon River enables piranhas to reach their chases easily because the fuzzy water of Amazon River decreases the eyesight of their games in the water and that's why piranhas can attack their games without being realised. Piranhas are carnivous animals and so they have small,dense and so sharp teeth so that they can break off meat by biting. Since piranhas have pack psychology,in the water they always go somewhere and hunt together especially Pygocentrus Family. As i fed these species in the aquarium,i could observe and experience them. Although piranhas have agressive and offensive character when a piranha is alone,it behaves like a coward in the other words when a piranha is apart from the pack it is more likely to be affraid,to be coward and to run away. In contrast if piranhas are together with a pack consisting of more than three-six members,they behaves in a brave way and they can attack everyting. Especially Pygocentrus Family is completely depended on a pack so they show their acual agressive character and feel in safe with a pack. The genuses of piranha are two as carnivorous. One is Pygocentrus family and the another one is Serrasalmus family.

Pygocentrus Nattereri

Pygocentrus family consists of three piranhas and these are Pygocentrus Nattereri,Pygocentrus Cariba and Pygocentrus Piraya. Among the members of Pygocentrus,the most widespread one is Pygocentrus Nattereri and it is available in almost all parts of Amazon River. Pygocentrus family is absolutely depended on a pack,their pack psychology is so strong. They prefer being with a crowded,huge pack. This feature of Pygocentrus family enables them to show their real agressive and offensive attidude. The another genus is Serrasalmus. Serrasalmus family consists of more then twenty members. This family has plenty of members. Unlike Pygocentrus family,the members of Serrasalmus family live alone,they may be with a pack in the time which is mating time for them and they may be also seen together in nature,but they prefer being and hunting alone. İn spite of these there are some kinds of Serrasalmus which live with a pack. Serrasalmus family has more agrressive and wild behavior compered to Pygocentrus family. Since i also fed Serrasalmus Rhombeus,Serrasalmus Elongatus and Serrasalmus Serrulatus in the aquarium,i could observe these differences between them. I kept my serrusalmus piranhas alone in a big aquarium bucause if i had kept two serrasalmus piranhas in the same aquarium,one of them would have eat the another one. It is understood that Serrasalmus family is so agressive and they can not even bear eachother and they shold be kept alone except the kinds living with a pack. The dentition and the chin of serrasalmus family are stronger escecially Rhombeus compered to Pygocentrus family. In addition to these Pygocentrus piranhas are more active and fidgety species then Serrsalmus piranhas. Serrasalmus piranhas would rather be earnest and slow. These two piranha families Serrasamus and Pygocentrus are count as a real carnivorous piranha families.Apart from these two families,there are some herbivorous kinds of piranhas which are said to be piranha,but they are not accepted to be piranhas especially by people who are interested in piranhas. These herbivorous species are fishes such as Colossoma macropomum,Pacu, and Myleus rubripinnis,Silver Dollar, and the like.

I want to introduce two specific,well-known and wide spread piranhas that hold  specific agressive and offensive piranha behaviours. These are Pygocentrus Nattereri and Serrasalmus Rhombeus.

Pygocentrus Nattereri

Pygocentrus Nattereri is a species that belongs to Pygocentrus family. Pygocentrus Nattereri is a certain piranha which is completely depended on a pack,they move and hunt with a crowded pack. These kinds of piranhas,Nattereri, are seen in nearly all parts of Amazon River. Their looking features are like piranha forms known. Their lower chin is more beyond compered to the upper part. Since they are carnivorous,their teeth are small,but dense and so sharp and they look like a triangle. The bellies of Nattereri piranhas are red and there are some light and black spots on their bellies,especially these spots are more distinctive on young Nattereri piranhas. The most markable feature of Nattereri piranhas is that they are completely depended on a pack consisting of a lot of members. İ myself could observe their this feature as i fed in the aquarium. When they stay alone,they become coward and show fearful movements like starting to run away and rushing into something like glass,decor,plants etc. In contrast if they are with a pack they become as brave as a monster. In addition Nattereri piranhas are very active and fidgety animals. They are so fast and active that you can get tired while watch them. After eating,they might be inactive and still until they digest what they eat.