Known As The Red Belly Piranha example essay topic

2003-04 A project on: The Red Piranha's (serrasalmus nattereri) Prepared By: Raghavendra Agrawal IX A Index. Introduction. Piranha the species. Ruthless Killers. Physical Characteristics.

External Anatomy of a Red Piranha. Habitat. Fishing a Piranha. Reproduction. Piranha Breeding. Nature of Piranhas Introduction The Red Piranha, also known as the Red Belly Piranha, is one of the most widely known fish in the world.

It is known to be fearsome and aggressive, with razor sharp teeth. This fearsome-looking fish has an evil reputation. It is a small ugly-looking fish, with a deep, blunt head and short powerful jaws armed with razor-sharp, interlocked teeth. It is carnivorous, but there are some related species that feed only on fruits and seeds. The Latin name of the Red Belly Piranha is serrasalmus nattereri. The Serrasalmus nattereri or the red piranha is the piranha that is in most people's minds when they think of piranhas.

This piranha is also the one that is most often found in pet stores. The red piranha is grayish-brown in color with a red-orange color on its under belly and the dorsal area and dark dots on its side. This is one of the smaller of the piranhas, growing to about 10 1/2 inches (27 cm) in length. This fish needs special care and is not a good fish for beginners. The Red Piranha, also known as the Red Belly Piranha, is one of the most widely known fish in the world. They make interesting pets, however, and they will keep any experienced aquarist entertained.

This variety of Piranha is the most available in markets. At maturity, Red Piranhas can reach a size of 10 to 12 inches. They have flat and round shaped bodies. Their bodies are gray or brown with a red or orange colored belly and dorsal fin. The body and fins will also have dark spots on them. Also, the scales of a Red Piranha might be a silvery reflective color.

Red Piranhas, however, are best known for their razor sharp triangular teeth, which allow them to rip through flesh. Piranha the Species Piranhas are the best known and most storied members of the Characidae family, most of which are minnow-like but possess teeth and an adipose fin. There are believed to be some 800 characins, and piranhas (pronounced pee-ron-y ahs) make up a large group that are related to such game fish species as pay ara, dorado, and tiger fish. Also known as caribe in Spanish, piranhas and some closely related species belong to the subfamily Serrasalminae, which has two different groupings.

One includes seven genera and some sixty species that are primarily plant-eating fish. The tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) of the Amazon is a prominent member of this group; it is an important food fish, eats fruit, grows to 66 pounds, and is occasionally caught incidentally by anglers. The other group has six genera and includes silver dollar fishes, which belong to the genus Metynnis and are well known to aquarium hobbyists. It also includes four genera of piranhas -- Pygopristis, Pygocentrus, Pristobrycon, and Serrasalmus -- which number approximately fifty species. Some of these piranhas have yet to be described by scientists, and there is still a good deal that is unknown about many of them, especially the extent of their range.

Habitat Piranhas are found in the Amazon region of South America in Southern Brazil and northern Argentina. They are usually found in fast moving streams, and travel in large groups. These fish are also suitable for aquarium life, provided they are legal in your state. In larger lakes and lagoons, swimmers and bathers generally go unmolested by these fishes. Similarly, riverine populations represent no great threat.

Dangerous situations occur in the dry season when the lakes and lagoons shrink, allowing the Red Piranhas to Congregate in large numbers. Any animal or human entering these waters would be readily attacked. Piranha-infested waters are easily detected by the commotion they cause while attacking fishes stranded on the shoreline. Fishing a Piranha Piranhas are great sport on light tackle. Large specimens are especially good fighters. Most piranhas are caught incidental to fishing for other species, primarily peacock bass, and are seldom the deliberate target of angling.

This means that they are usually caught on heavy tackle that mitigates their fight. However, anglers can take advantage of the schooling behavior of piranha by having lighter tackle and smaller lures available to use when a piranha is caught while fishing for other species. Small spoons, jigs, and lip less crank baits are very effective for these species, with a steel leader advisable. Physical Characteristics At maturity, Red Piranhas can reach a size of 10 to 12 inches. They also get their signature red belly. This appears below their lateral line; their anal fin also turns red.

The dark gray spots that appear on them, above their lateral line, can identify Young Piranha. As the Piranha becomes mature these spots will dissipate... When reaching maturity they also get their signature red belly. At maturity Piranha can reach 12 inches in the wild and sometimes larger in aquarium environments. Piranhas can be such effective eating machines because they have numerous upper and lower teeth that are short, triangular, and sharp.

The teeth interlock and the jaws are extremely powerful, allowing these fish to chew continuously and to remove flesh in clean bites. There is some belief that the larger the school of piranhas, the greater the propensity for an attack. Their sense of smell is comparable to sharks and they need it to find food in the murky waters of the Amazon River. Their hearing also allows them to sense when an animal is injured so they can get to it and eat it.

It is also believed that piranha eyes are better than that of humans and that they can see a wider range of color. Reproduction The species is not sexually dimorphic. Breeders of piranhas in the home aquarium note visual differences between the sexes, but this scrutiny is limited to fish that are observed for a period of time, up to and including pre-spawning activity. Then some differences can be noted, but subtle due to such activity.

References to body girth or coloration are limited to the female being full of roe and the male in pre-spawning colors. Other references to thickness of first ray of anal or body girth is inconsequential to visually attempt to determine sex when the fish are observed in the wild and in a large group. Piranha seems to have a type of courtship display that involves swimming in circles. This results in ventral-to-ventral interactions between the male and female. Eggs are placed in the sediment, in bowl shaped nests. These nests are around 4-5 cm in depth and 15 cm in diameter.

The eggs are in clusters and are attached to the bottom vegetation. There may also be a relationship between the times of the spawning and the time of the wet season. (Uetanabaro et al. 1993). The eggs of the piranhas are expelled during spawning and fertilized in the surrounding water. The adult males and females join in partial fertilization.

The females are most fertile in the months of April and May. Their breeding habitat tends to be in main bodies of water, such as lagoons (Galv is et al. 1989). A rather large microphyte population must be present for the young when they are born, so they can feed. Breeding a Piranha There is not a lot of data on breeding the Red Piranha in captivity. They are reported to spawn easily, but it is quite difficult to distinguish between males and females.

It has also been reported that it may be difficult to find a male and female pair this is willing to mate. When they do breed, Red Piranhas will create a nest at the base of a plant, or in gravel, and will protect the eggs. According to at least one report Red Piranhas can produce thousands of eggs if the tank is setup properly and they are given the proper amount of space. Because young individuals are difficult to sex one reported technique is to buy at least seven fish, out of the seven there is usually a high chance of obtaining at least one female. After they begin to grow the most dominate male will then become very territorial toward the others in the tank.

Even tanks as large as 100 to 150-gallons are usually not enough for all seven, even if they are well fed. If they are left in an overcrowded tank they will become injured or get eaten by the time they get are around 7 to 8 inches in length. By this time separation is extremely important, especially if you plan on breeding. The same report indicated that out of the group the female is usually easy to distinguish. She is usually the smallest and the most compact. One they reach 7 or 8 inches in length only one male and one female should be kept in a tank.

The ideal tank setup for breeding includes lots of hiding spaces - these can be made with different items such as driftwood, heavy plastic plants, caves and rocks. Keep water Ph neutral until breeding then bring water Ph to slightly acidic levels. This can be achieved by putting peat moss inside the tank. Temperatures should be maintained between 80 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit. It has been reported that best foods to keep them in tiptop condition are raw shrimp, raw bloodied steak, and feeder fish.

Feeder fish should only be given once a week or so - too many can be harmful. Live foods help repair tissues. The best live foods for these fish, especially when they are young, are mealworms, brine shrimp, tub ifex worms, black worms and on occasion goldfish and minnows. Ruthless Killers From the moment tiny baby piranhas' hatch from their microscopic eggs, they come into the world armed and dangerous. Baby piranha will feast on tiny crustaceans, fruits, seeds, and aquatic plants. Once they reach about 1.5 inches in length they begin feeding on the fins and flesh of other fish that wander too closely.

As they grow larger they begin to venture out in groups (schools) of about 20 fish where they use a variety of hunting strategies to kill and eat their prey. Heck, they don't kill their prey first, they just start eating the victim alive - that's what makes them so ferocious. Adult piranhas have been known to eat their own babies. Talk about brutal! When a school of piranhas are in a feeding frenzy the water appears to boil and churn red with blood. They attack with such ferocity that they strip an animal of its flesh completely within a matter of minutes and they " ll even eat each other in the process.

Adult piranha will eat just about anything - other fish, jaguars, and cattle, even people. Cattle that have stooped their heads down to drink from the river have been grabbed by the mouth and nose and pulled into the water, completely devoured ten minutes later. As wicked as it all sounds, piranhas have a useful function in the Amazonian jungles just like any other predators in the wild. They are part of the checks and balances Mother Nature employs to eliminate the weak and sick so only the strong survive.

Nature of Piranhas Piranhas are a very misunderstood fish. Most people think of them as vicious hunters that will attack a person every chance they get. Piranhas are known for their supposed ability to devour big animals -- and even people -- in a short time. However, there is no recorded event of death of a person because of these fish. On the contrary, it is usually people who fish piranha and eat them, because their meat is considered tasty. Piranhas usually eat smaller fish, and often simply bite on the scales or fins.

Under certain conditions, however, especially when they are trapped in a drying lake, they will attack any other animal that wanders into the waters. Only four or five of the about 20 species of piranhas are considered dangerous. While Piranhas in the wild often hunt in packs, which makes it easier for them to subdue larger prey, aquarium Piranhas are much more shy. When kept as pets, Piranhas prefer to reside in caves or behind plants to conceal themselves. Piranhas don't eat their own eggs like most other Characins. On the contrary, parents guard their eggs and fry viciously against intruders like cichlids.

So, next time you think of this great fish remember that it is just as afraid of you as you are of it!