Piranhas live in water bodies and rivers of South America, in particular Amazon, La Plata and Orinoco. More piranhas can be found in the foothills of Colombia, the Andes, Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina and Uruguay. Small populations exist in Mexico, the United States, Spain and some other European countries. Piranhas spread widely. Especially the number of piranhas increased in the 1940s to 1950. The reason was the extermination of most of the black cayman population.
Piranhas have a length of 30 cm and weigh almost 1 kilogram. Mature piranha is a big fish, with a silvery-olive color and a red or purple tint. At the ends of the caudal fin there is a black rim. At growing piranhas color silver, sides with black speck. Anal and abdominal fins are red in color.
The lower jaw and powerful teeth allow these fish to tear off large slices of flesh from the victim. Teeth in piranhas look like a triangle 4-5 mm high. They are placed in such a way that the teeth of the upper jaw enter directly into the connectors between the teeth of the lower jaw. The jaws of these fish act as follows: during the closing of the jaws, the flesh is cut off instantly with sharp teeth. When moving the closed jaws in different directions in a horizontal position, piranha ways to snap large portions of food – veins and bones. A mature piranha can easily bite off a person’s finger or grab a strong stick.
