From films and fiction books, we know that if you put your hand in the water where piranhas live, they will gnaw it off in a minute. Well, okay, maybe this is not accurate, but if there is some kind of wound on the body and blood gets into the water, then the piranhas can smell it a kilometer away and will definitely attack a person with the whole flock and certainly only a skeleton will be left of him.

Is this really true?

First you need to understand whether the piranha is really an extremely aggressive creature that attacks everything that moves in the water. This may sound unexpected, but piranha is a very cautious fish and does not pose any danger to humans. Exists a large number of evidence of a person swimming in piranha-infested water without any harm to his health.

This was fully demonstrated by Herbert Axeldorf, a famous biologist specializing in the study tropical fish. To prove the safety of piranhas for humans, Herbert filled a small pool with piranhas and dived into it, leaving only his swimming trunks on. After swimming for some time among the predatory fish and without receiving any harm to his health, Herbert took fresh blood-soaked meat in his hand and continued to swim with it. But several dozen piranhas in the pool still did not approach the person, although quite recently they happily ate the same meat when there was no one in the pool.

Piranhas, considered fearsome predators with an insatiable hunger for fresh flesh, are actually rather timid fish and scavengers that do not dare to approach large creatures.

It is known that piranhas prefer to stay in large schools, and if one piranha is seen in the water, there are always others nearby. But piranhas do this not because it is easier for a school of predatory fish to overwhelm and kill a person who enters the water, but because piranhas themselves are a link in the food chain for other larger species of fish. Being in a flock of dozens of individuals, the chance that you will be eaten is quite low.

Moreover, experiments with piranhas have shown that when alone, these fish do not feel as calm as if they were surrounded by other fish.

But despite their peaceful behavior towards humans, piranhas are real killing machines for other fish species that are lower than them in the food chain. Their powerful jaws are designed to bite and tear, and their dense, muscular bodies are capable of incredibly fast movements and jerks underwater. The piranha's jaw muscle contraction force relative to body size is believed to be the highest of any other vertebrate in the world. For example, the common piranha can easily bite off the finger of an adult.

But in history there has not been a single reliable case of a fatal attack by piranhas on a person. But this does not mean at all that these fish never bite a person or an animal that enters the water. And this behavior is almost always caused not by the aggressive behavior of the fish, but by self-defense or abnormal weather conditions, because of which the behavior of piranhas begins to differ sharply from usual. Abnormal weather conditions mean a period of drought, when the rivers in which piranhas live dry up, and many fish remain in depressions filled with water, but cut off from the main channel, deprived of food. Starving predators gradually begin to eat themselves and may well rush at any creature that comes close to the water. Sometimes the tendency of piranhas to behave aggressively is recorded during the spawning period, when they rush at a person or animal in self-defense, but such cases are extremely rare. And of course there is no talk of a collective attack by piranhas on humans.

Surprisingly, piranhas, being, according to many, one of the most the most dangerous predators, at the same time unusually timid! It is advisable to keep the aquarium in which piranhas live away from sources of noise and shadows, otherwise your pets will constantly be on the verge of fainting! It is a well-known fact among aquarists that a click on the glass or a sudden movement near the aquarium is enough for piranhas to faint. They also often faint during transportation from the place of purchase to their future home.

But all of the above does not mean that piranhas will refuse to eat human flesh. Unfortunately, sometimes tragic incidents occur on the water - people or animals drown. An already lifeless body floating in the water attracts many fish, including piranhas, which leave specific bites on it. People who see this think that the cause of death was an attack by piranhas - this is how most myths about attacks by flocks of piranhas on people or animals are born.

And here's Pacu - the common name for several species of omnivorous South American freshwater piranhas. The pacu and the common piranha (Pygocentrus) have the same number of teeth, although differences in their alignment are noted; The piranha has pointed, razor-shaped teeth with a pronounced mesial bite (the lower jaw protrudes forward), while the pacu has square, straight teeth with a slight mesial or even distal bite (the upper front teeth are pushed forward in relation to the lower ones). As adults, wild pacu weigh more than 30 kg and are much larger than piranhas.

From films and fiction books, we know that if you put your hand in the water where piranhas live, they will gnaw it off in a minute. Well, okay, maybe this is not accurate, but if there is some kind of wound on the body and blood gets into the water, then the piranhas can smell it a kilometer away and will definitely attack a person with the whole flock and certainly only a skeleton will be left of him.

Is this really true?

First you need to understand whether the piranha is really an extremely aggressive creature that attacks everything that moves in the water. This may sound unexpected, but piranha is a very cautious fish and does not pose any danger to humans. There is a large amount of evidence of people swimming in piranha-infested waters without any harm to their health.

This was fully demonstrated by Herbert Axeldorf, a famous biologist specializing in the study of tropical fish. To prove the safety of piranhas for humans, Herbert filled a small pool with piranhas and dived into it, leaving only his swimming trunks on. After swimming for some time among the predatory fish and without receiving any harm to his health, Herbert took fresh blood-soaked meat in his hand and continued to swim with it. But several dozen piranhas in the pool still did not approach the person, although quite recently they happily ate the same meat when there was no one in the pool.

Piranhas, considered fearsome predators with an insatiable thirst for fresh flesh, are actually quite timid fish and CARNARDERS, not daring to approach large creatures.

It is known that piranhas prefer to stay in large schools, and if one piranha is seen in the water, there are always others nearby. But piranhas do this not because it is easier for a school of predatory fish to overwhelm and kill a person who enters the water, but because piranhas themselves are a link in the food chain for other larger species of fish. Being in a flock of dozens of individuals, the chance that you will be eaten is quite low.

Moreover, experiments with piranhas have shown that when alone, these fish do not feel as calm as if they were surrounded by other fish.

But despite their peaceful behavior towards humans, piranhas are real killing machines for other fish species that are lower than them in the food chain. Their powerful jaws are designed to bite and tear, and their dense, muscular bodies are capable of incredibly fast movements and jerks underwater. The piranha's jaw muscle contraction force relative to body size is believed to be the highest of any other vertebrate in the world. For example, the common piranha can easily bite off the finger of an adult.

But in history there has not been a single reliable case of a fatal attack by piranhas on a person. But this does not mean at all that these fish never bite a person or an animal that enters the water. And this behavior is almost always caused not by the aggressive behavior of the fish, but by self-defense or abnormal weather conditions, because of which the behavior of the piranhas begins to differ sharply from usual. Abnormal weather conditions mean a period of drought, when the rivers in which piranhas live dry up, and many fish remain in depressions filled with water, but cut off from the main channel, deprived of food. Starving predators gradually begin to eat themselves and may well rush at any creature that comes close to the water. Sometimes the tendency of piranhas to behave aggressively is recorded during the spawning period, when they rush at a person or animal in self-defense, but such cases are extremely rare. And of course there is no talk of a collective attack by piranhas on humans.

Surprisingly, piranhas, being, according to many, one of the most dangerous predators, are at the same time unusually timid! It is advisable to keep the aquarium in which piranhas live away from sources of noise and shadows, otherwise your pets will constantly be on the verge of fainting! It is a well-known fact among aquarists that a click on the glass or a sudden movement near the aquarium is enough for piranhas to faint. They also often faint during transportation from the place of purchase to their future home.

But all of the above does not mean that piranhas will refuse to eat human flesh. Unfortunately, sometimes tragic incidents occur on the water - people or animals drown. An already lifeless body floating in the water attracts many fish, including piranhas, which leave specific bites on it. People who see this think that the cause of death was an attack by piranhas - this is how most myths about attacks by flocks of piranhas on people or animals are born.

And here's Pacu - the common name for several species of omnivorous South American freshwater piranhas. The pacu and the common piranha (Pygocentrus) have the same number of teeth, although differences in their alignment are noted; The piranha has pointed, razor-shaped teeth with a pronounced mesial bite (the lower jaw protrudes forward), while the pacu has square, straight teeth with a slight mesial or even distal bite (the upper front teeth are pushed forward in relation to the lower ones). As adults, wild pacu weigh more than 30 kg and are much larger than piranhas.

here's more about them -

Quite a few articles have been written about the piranha bite. Today, their bites play an unusually dominant role in conversations. But Luis Suarez is hardly the most dangerous biter in South America. The continent is home to piranhas.

They never had a good reputation. Just look at the cult film Piranha. In it, a school of fish attacks unsuspecting lake swimmers. Or the 2010 remake, where prehistoric piranhas eat people.

Then or now, Hollywood certainly didn't do these fish any favors. But are these freshwater fish really vicious river monsters? Not really.

They do have sharp teeth, and many of them are carnivores. But the many variations in diet among species is one reason they have proven difficult to classify.

The fish are also difficult to distinguish from each other in terms of species, diet, coloring, and teeth. The lack of knowledge adds a bit of dark mystery to these creatures.

Of course they are not cute. But it must be understood correctly that scientists are rewriting the existing formidable stereotype. Here are 14 fun facts about freshwater fish:

Bad reputation, partly Teddy Roosevelt's fault

When Theodore Roosevelt traveled to South America in 1913, he encountered various types piranha. Here's what he said about them in his best-selling book, Through the Brazilian Wilderness:

“They are the most ferocious fish in the world. Even the most formidable fish, sharks, barracudas, attack prey smaller than themselves. But piranhas attack things much larger than that. They can grab a finger carelessly dipped into the water; they maim swimmers - in the river city

In Paraguay there are people who have been disfigured in this way; they will tear and devour any animal, living or wounded; blood in the water excites them to the point of madness. They will tear wounded game to pieces; bite off their tails big fish».

Roosevelt went on to tell the story of a school of piranhas devouring a cow whole. According to Mental Floss, locals put on a show for Roosevelt by setting a net across the river to catch the piranhas before he arrived. After storing the fish in an aquarium without food, they threw the dead cow into the river and released the fish, which naturally devoured the carcass.

They change teeth throughout their lives. While this is an individual fact for sharks, piranhas replace teeth several times in their lives, which can reach eight years in captivity.

Strong piranha bite

Although the teeth look menacing, the bite has very little force, almost . Researchers have found that the black (or red-eyed) species (Serrasalmus rhombeus) is the largest modern look has a strength of 32 kg (which is three times its own body weight).

Using the teeth of a fossil model, they discovered that 10 million years ago, the Piranha's ancestor, Megapiranha paranensis, had a bite force of 484 kg (the same as a six-meter bull shark).

For reference, M. paranensis weighed only 10 kilograms during life, so this is about 50 times more weight his body. It is not yet clear what exactly this ancient fish ate.

Legends

Humans and capybaras are only part of the diet if these prey are already dead or dying

BUENOS AIRES, January 3 – RIA Novosti, Oleg Vyazmitinov. New cases of piranha attacks occurred on Argentine beaches - this time vacationers in one of the suburbs of the country's capital were affected, Argentine media reported.

The first incidents occurred last week on a city beach located on the banks of the Parana River in the city of Rosario. In total, about 85 people were injured there, including seven minors whose fingers had to be amputated.

Local authorities in both Rosario and Vicente Lopez closed beaches immediately after piranhas became known, but in both cases local residents continued to swim in the rivers. The central provinces of Argentina have been experiencing intense heat for the past two weeks and many locals are using the Christmas holidays to relax on river beaches.

What did the piranhas "crawl"

There are two types of freshwater piranhas found in Argentine rivers: Pygocentrus nattereri and Serrasalmus spilopleura. They reach 33 centimeters in length and can weigh up to 3.8 kilograms. In interviews with local media, biologists said that piranhas become more aggressive at high temperatures.

Piranhas, which live in the waters of the Amazon and some other rivers of South America, are considered the most aggressive fish on Earth. They never miss an opportunity to attack animals or birds, attacking their prey in huge schools and tearing pieces of meat from its body. Often, fish accompany their actions with a characteristic “caw” or “bark,” the meaning of which scientists were able to decipher in October 2011.

If you conducted a survey about which fish is the most dangerous on Earth, piranha would definitely be among the top three. Despite quite small sizes the fish itself, a school of piranhas in a matter of minutes will leave only a skeleton of a person who has fallen into the water. At least, this is what happens in numerous horror films and horror books. But is this really so?

The compressive force of the jaw muscles relative to body size is the highest in piranhas compared to any other vertebrate in the world.

First you need to understand whether the piranha is really an extremely aggressive creature that attacks everything that moves in the water. This may sound unexpected, but piranha is a very cautious fish and does not pose any danger to humans. There is a large amount of evidence of people swimming in piranha-infested waters without any harm to their health. This was fully demonstrated by Herbert Axeldorf, a famous biologist specializing in the study of tropical fish. To prove the safety of piranhas for humans, Herbert filled a small pool with piranhas and dived into it, leaving only his swimming trunks on. After swimming for some time among the predatory fish and without receiving any harm to his health, Herbert took fresh blood-soaked meat in his hand and continued to swim with it. But several dozen piranhas in the pool still did not approach the person, although quite recently they happily ate the same meat when there was no one in the pool.

Piranhas, considered fearsome predators with an insatiable thirst for fresh flesh, are actually rather timid fish that do not dare to approach large creatures.

It is known that piranhas prefer to stay in large schools, and if one piranha is seen in the water, there are always others nearby. But piranhas do this not because it is easier for a school of predatory fish to overwhelm and kill a person who enters the water, but because piranhas themselves are a link in the food chain for other larger species of fish. Being in a flock of dozens of individuals, the chance that you will be eaten is quite low.

Moreover, experiments with piranhas have shown that when alone, these fish do not feel as calm as if they were surrounded by other fish.

But despite their peaceful behavior towards humans, piranhas are real killing machines for other fish species that are lower than them in the food chain. Their powerful jaws are designed to bite and tear, and their dense, muscular bodies are capable of incredibly fast movements and jerks underwater. The piranha's jaw muscle contraction force relative to body size is believed to be the highest of any other vertebrate in the world. For example, the common piranha can easily bite off the finger of an adult.

But in history there has not been a single reliable case of a fatal attack by piranhas on a person. But this does not mean at all that these fish never bite a person or an animal that enters the water. And this behavior is almost always caused not by the aggressive behavior of the fish, but by self-defense or abnormal weather conditions, because of which the behavior of the piranhas begins to differ sharply from usual. Abnormal weather conditions mean a period of drought, when the rivers in which piranhas live dry up, and many fish remain in depressions filled with water, but cut off from the main channel, deprived of food. Starving predators gradually begin to eat themselves and may well rush at any creature that comes close to the water. Sometimes the tendency of piranhas to behave aggressively is recorded during the spawning period, when they rush at a person or animal in self-defense, but such cases are extremely rare. And of course there is no talk of a collective attack by piranhas on humans.

But all of the above does not mean that piranhas will refuse to eat human flesh. Unfortunately, sometimes tragic incidents occur on the water - people or animals drown. An already lifeless body floating in the water attracts many fish, including piranhas, which leave specific bites on it. People who see this think that the cause of death was an attack by piranhas - this is how most myths about attacks by flocks of piranhas on people or animals are born.

This is interesting: Suppose, in some unknown way, a huge school of piranhas of 400-500 individuals was driven crazy, and now they attack everyone who is in the water. For example, if this unfortunate person turns out to be an adult, then 500 piranhas will be able to gnaw him to the bone in 5 minutes!

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