Do you want to dip your toe into the waters of the most
vicious fish in the world?
Well, I hope you’re prepared to lose that toe.
The power of South America's red-bellied piranha
lies in their bite.
That’s one underbite you shouldn’t underestimate.
The gigantic muscles
that wrap around their head and connect
to their jaw give them immense strength.
And my, what big teeth they have.
Their teeth interlock in the same way as sharks do.
And they are razor sharp.
Ouch.
The red-bellied piranha wins the top prize
for the sharpest teeth and the strongest bite
out of the entire piranha family.
One chomp could take your toe off.
If you want to keep all your
appendages attached to your body,
I suggest you avoid splashing in the water
since the sound can attract fish ready to feast.
Also, be mindful of where piranhas spawn and breeds.
They are very protective of their young.
Attacks, especially deadly ones, are rare,
but they’ve increased over the years.
As more waterways are dammed,
the fish are attracted to calmer waters
frequented by people.
It's these still waters that make
for ideal mating grounds.
What you need to worry about most
are your legs and feet.
Most of the time, it only takes one chomp
for a person to get the message to vacate the area.
With a few stitches and some gauze,
you’d most likely survive relatively unscathed.
What you want to remember is these piranhas are social
animals that swim in packs, or shoals.
The older, more vulnerable fish are on the inside
while the younger, stronger fish keep them protected.
For the most part, they scavenge rather than kill.
They feed on the leftovers of other animals
and tend to eat fish smaller than them.
If they’re feeling ambitious,
piranhas might go for large mammals like a capybara
that is sick or injured.
When they go in for the kill,
they'll target the eyes and tail to immobilize their dinner.
Hunting parties can include up to 100 fish.
If one fish finds potential prey
it alerts the others with a call,
almost like a bark.
Let the frenzy begin.
Piranhas have awful manners.
They don’t chew their food.
They rip the flesh off their prey
and swallow their bite whole.
They’re able to strip their meal to the bone,
with not a morsel going to waste.
During a feeding frenzy,
piranhas are always rotating and moving.
They trade places so that
everyone can get their fair share.
They move so quickly that it can look like
the water is boiling.
Experts say it would take five
minutes for 500 piranhas to rip a person to shreds.
Before you decide
to literally never swim again out of fear of
becoming the main course,
We can assure you this scenario
is simply hypothetical.
We think.
Feeding frenzies usually happen when the piranhas are
absolutely starving.
Otherwise, they can be just as happy eating plants
or other vegetation.
Seems a lot less gruesome.
But people have died from accidental encounters.
In one heartbreaking case,
a six-year-old girl was unable to recover from her injuries
after her family’s canoe capsized
in piranha-infested waters.
There’s another fish out there
with a remarkable set of chompers,
but fortunately this one won’t bite off your toe.
You can learn more in our video
all about the sheepshead fish.
Indulging their ravenous appetites
with occasional bursts of violence
is what red-bellied piranhas do.
And that’s what makes them