Red-Bellied Piranha

Red-Bellied Piranha
A Red-Bellied Piranha
Facts
Maximum Weight	3 pounds
Area Found	South America, Amazon Basin
Diet	Hypercarnivore
In River Monsters
Episode(s):	Piranha, Amazon Assassins, Amazon Flesh Eaters, Jungle Killer, Lair of Giants, Face Ripper, Colombian Slasher, Amazon Apocalypse, Body Snatcher
Season(s):	River Monsters Seasons 1, 3, 4, 5, and 6

This article is about the dangerous pack hunting species. For other uses, visit Piranha (disambiguation).

The Red-Bellied Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) is possibly the most well-known Amazonian fish. It hunts in packs and is a carnivore.

River Monsters

Piranha (Episode)

The piranha is probably the world's most famous River Monster, closely related to the Red Bellied Pacu and other Pacu species. Only the Pacu are vegetarian. The piranha is famous for its desire of meat. However, Jeremy Wade may have proven that piranhas do not attack people knowing that they are people. He did this by swimming with piranhas once in a swimming pool and once in a pond. He even chummed the water once.

Face Ripper

However, in Bolivia, Arapaima prey on Piranhas and this forces them to do extreme things like biting people's faces off as seen in Season 5 episode 1. Not only do the Arapaima actively hunt Piranhas, but they act as competitors feeding on the same prey as Piranhas.

See Also

• Piranha (disambiguation)

Gallery

Jeremy demonstrates the power of the Piranha's bite

Wade holding the lethal killer

Fact file of a Red-Bellied Piranha