Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme

Switch Atlas

Specy

Red-bellied Piranha

Fish

The red-bellied piranha is a freshwater fish native to the rivers and floodplain lakes of the Amazon basin in South America, among the best known of the piranha species due to its reputation, often exaggerated in popular culture, as an aggressive shoaling predator. It has a deep, laterally compressed body, a silvery flank and a reddish-orange belly and lower fins, along with a single row of sharp, tightly interlocking triangular teeth adapted for shearing flesh. Red-bellied piranhas typically travel in shoals for both protection from their own predators and to improve hunting success, feeding on fish, insects, crustaceans and carrion, and while genuinely dangerous feeding frenzies do occur under conditions of low water levels and scarce food, unprovoked attacks on healthy humans in normal river conditions are far less common than their fearsome reputation suggests. The species plays an important ecological role in its native river systems by scavenging carrion and controlling populations of other fish, and it has become a popular, if tightly regulated, species in the aquarium trade in some countries.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Carnivore 2
System (Realm)
Freshwater 2
Relationship to People
Kept as Pets 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
A reddish tinge to the belly in adults, while juveniles are silver colored with darker spots, growing up to about 50 centimeters long and 3.9 kilograms in weight. 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
GNR Unranked 3
CITES Appendix
Not Listed 4
Scientific Name
Pygocentrus nattereri 1
Conservation Status
Least Concern 2
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Characiformes, Taxa
Source Wikidata: Red-bellied Piranha

In Biome

River, Biomes
Source Red-bellied Piranha (Wikipedia)

In Ecosystem

Amazon Rainforest, Ecosystems
Source Wikidata: Red-bellied Piranha
Additional Source Red-bellied Piranha (Wikipedia)Article text
In the Other Atlases

Found In

Argentina

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Bangladesh

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Barbados

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Bolivia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Brazil

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Canada

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

China

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Colombia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Ecuador

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Germany

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Guyana

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

India

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Indonesia

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Italy

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Mexico

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Nepal

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Paraguay

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Peru

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Philippines

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

United States

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Uruguay

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Venezuela

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Vietnam

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Red-bellied Piranha (Wikipedia)
Wikimedia Foundation
  • Introduction, first sentence
    The red-bellied piranha, also known as the red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish
  • Description section, coloration sentence
    red-bellied piranhas have a reddish tinge to the belly when fully grown, although juveniles are a silver color with darker spots.
  • In Biome: River, Wikipedia intro: "rs in South America, found in the Amazon, Paraguay, Paran? and Essequibo basins, as well as coastal rivers of northeastern Brazil. This fish is locally abundant..."
  • In Ecosystem: Amazon Rainforest, Article text
    The red-bellied piranha is typically found in white water rivers, such as the Amazon River Basin, and in some streams and lakes.
View the Source
2. Wikipedia: Red-bellied piranha
  • diet-classification (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    They are carnivorous foragers and feed on insects, worms, crustaceans and fish.
  • system (MediaWiki batch-API article extract states it plainly)
    The red-bellied piranha, also known as the red piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri), is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes.
  • Infobox: status
    LC
View the Source
3. NatureServe Explorer: Pygocentrus nattereri
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "GNR"
View the Source
4. Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of Zoology: Pygocentrus nattereri (Animal Diversity Web)
Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan Museum of ZoologyConservation Status: CITES
Quote, Conservation Status: CITES
CITES No special status
View the Source
Wikidata: Red-bellied Piranha
  • Wikidata Q928382, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)
  • Child Taxon Of: Characiformes, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chain
View the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.