Everyone has heard of the ferocious Piranha fish that is found predominantly in the Amazon River in South America. However unfortunately this species of fish has developed a reputation that it does not deserve. Most people regard as something that is to be feared and definitely kept away from.
There have been tales when schools of Piranhas have brutally devoured cattle that have strayed into the Amazon River. Leaving behind only the skeleton of the unfortunate bovines in a matter of seconds. There are also stories where people have dipped their fingers in the Amazon River; once they take it out they only find the bone and no flesh!! Tales such as these have accorded Piranhas the status of fearsome predators who are second to none in hunting ability. Most people regard a school of Piranha to be deadlier than the Great White Shark. These tales have no scientific bearing whatsoever and they remain just that: Tall Tales. But unfortunately academicians and scientists have not done much to shatter these myths. One of the reasons may be that humans do not hunt and kill Piranhas in large numbers. The only threat that they seem to face is loss of habitat. It has also not been conclusively proved that they are huge contributors to the River ecosystem.
Scientifically called "Serrasalmus nattereri", the Piranha can be as small as 1.5 inches and as large as 18 inches. Similarly its color also varies from silver to orange. The life span of the Piranha is unknown, but they probably live for several years. Piranhas feed on worms and insects found in the river, however they also eat small fish once they become adults. Piranhas also have the propensity to feed on carcasses of animals that lie on riverbeds. This tendency has contributed most to their ferocious reputation. Piranhas in captivity have generally been afraid of the human presence but there have been instances when people have put their hands in tanks containing Piranhas and have got bitten. This could be attributed to the fact that the fish were under fed in the first place.
There have been intermittent reports of attacks on bathers in Brazil. This may have been caused by the damming of rivers. Dams slow the flow of rivers, and may cause an increase in piranha numbers because the fish favor gentle stretches of water for breeding. Most of the attacks seem to happen on the Rio Mogi Guacu River. It provides a very fertile environment for the young Piranhas to survive because of the presence of water hyacinths. Piranhas lay their larvae in submerged or floating waterweeds, which collects in slow-moving rivers. When rivers flood, much of this vegetation is swept away and this probably controlled piranha populations in the past. But the damming of the rivers prevents these floods. The vegetation offers protection for these nests of piranha larvae, and parents often "brood" over, or guard, them. The fish usually bite their victims once, ripping a chunk out of the person and leaving a round, crater-shaped wound with accompanying loss of tissue and bleeding. A few victims have said to have got their toes amputated after being bitten, but this is still not enough justification to provide Piranhas with the man-eater moniker. If they have eaten any humans then it is because that these humans were already dead due to drowning and their carcasses were lying in the river.
It is illegal to store Piranhas in most states in America. However if they have to be kept in captivity then a minimum of 50 gallons of water at a temperature between 75 and 80 degrees F, would be required. When they are young they must be fed normal fish food and freeze-dried bloodworms, but as they grow bigger, they can be fed chunks of fish. It is recommended that beef be avoided because it is difficult to digest. It is a known practice in America for aquarium owners to pass off other fish that look similar to the Piranha as Piranhas, most notably - Plecostomus Catfish, Silver Dollars and Pacus.
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