A flock of piranhas can tear to pieces any victim, no matter how large, in a matter of seconds. Locals even attribute supernatural powers to these fish as if they were not only a deadly threat to them. Fortunately, the habitat of piranhas is limited, and beyond its limits they are kept only in captivity.
Alone, these fish are very cowardly. Moreover, they can easily lose consciousness from fear, and any loud sound like a loud clap of hands can scare piranha. Closing between themselves, the teeth of piranhas do not leave even slits between themselves, so they literally cut out pieces of meat from the body of the prey. The jaws of piranhas are stronger than any living creature that has ever lived on Earth, even counting dinosaurs. Regarding their weight and body size, of course. A flock of hungry piranhas in two minutes is capable of gnawing an adult bull to the bones. These fish hunt only when they are hungry. Being full, they ignore potential prey. Despite the fact that they are so dangerous, piranhas themselves often become a dinner for river dolphins and caimans.
Their sense of smell is phenomenal. These fish are able to smell several drops of blood that have fallen into the water for several kilometers. Piranha is capable of grabbing a finger for an adult with a single bite. The activity of piranhas is directly related to the lunar cycle. At low tide, when the Moon is farther from the Earth, they are more active and aggressive than at high tide. South American shepherds, when they need to drive a herd of cattle to the other side of the river, usually sacrifice piranhas in the literal sense of the word. One of the animals is given to the fishes, and while these river predators tear it to pieces, the rest of the herd is transported to the opposite shore through the ford. Piranhas can live only in fresh water. In salty, they die almost immediately.
The largest individuals of these fish weigh a maximum of 1 kg. Piranhas are found only in South America. Fortunately. There are about 50 different species of these predatory fish in the world. The name “piranha” itself came from one of the Indian languages. Translated, it means “fish-saw”.
