Red piranha
Pygocentrus nattereri
Red piranhas hunt in groups of 20 to 30 animals. Protected by vegetation, they lie in wait for their prey, attacking it from below or from behind. In addition to the ambush tactic, piranhas also hunt in the open water and pursue their prey at speed for longer distances.
Serious accidents with people are rare. Usually violent bite injuries occur with fishermen, in particular when they try to retrieve their fish hook from the piranha’s mouth when it is still alive.
| Closest relatives | Tetra, Serrasalmidae (18 species) |
| Habitat | Rivers, lakes, lagoons |
| Behaviour | twilight activity, in shoals of up to 20 to 30 animals |
| Diet | Fish, carrion, insects, crustaceans, mollusks, plant parts |
| Body length | up to 30 cm |
| Spawn | up to 400 eggs in a shallow pit, several females spawn in the same pit, males guard clutches |
| Breeding period | Hatch after 36 hours, free swimming after 6 days Use: popular food fish in some regions |
| Life expectancy | 15 years, at the zoo more than 30 years |
| Use | popular food fish in some regions |
| Current status | very common, exposed in the southern states of the USA, Hawaii and India |
| At Zurich Zoo since | 1956, between 1970 and 1976 over 3,200 young animals |
geographic range
Geier des Süsswassers
Eine Pororoca-Welle im Amazonas.
Am Unterlauf des Amazonas bilden sich regelmässig grosse Springfluten, die sich von der Mündung landeinwärts bewegen. Die bis zu 4 Meter hohe Welle wird in Brasilien «Pororoca» genannt und entsteht durch Ebbe und Flut im Meer. Durch das plötzliche, tsunamiartige Hochwasser ertrinken regelmässig viele Haus- und Wildtiere. Die Kadaver werden von den Piranhas gefressen, womit sie die Ausbreitung von Seuchen verhindern. Piranhas gelten daher als «Geier des Süsswassers».
Sponsors
| M. Hager, Reichenburg | |
| P. With, Hermetschwil-Staffeln | |
| Baby-Center Wurmito, Döttingen | |
| A. Koenig, Gland | |
| Ernst Autotransport AG, Zürich | |
| D. Hauzenberger, Zürich | |
| J. Flückiger |
Conservation status
