Red Belly Piranha

 

piranha 300x200 Red Belly Piranha

Red Belly Piranha

Introduction To The Red Belly Piranha

 

The Red Belly Piranha or the Pyocentrus nattereri is a very interesting fish that can get up to 16 inches long.  However, piranhas will rarely grow to over 12 inches in an aquarium. This species of piranha can have a belly color range from yellow to red and one of the species common names is Yellow King Emperor piranha.

The Pyocentrus nattereri comes from South American rivers like the Amazon River, Rio Negro, Rio Paraguay and many other rivers and actually some of these species have been found in some manmade lakes. People can find this fish species all over parts of South America.

Red Belly Piranha Body Characteristics

The Red Belly Piranha has quite a few body characteristics that can change as the fish gets older, but here are a few that are consistent. This fish species have very powerful, sharp jaws and before they get 3-4 inches long in width their eyes are camouflaged black. After they get 3-4 inches long in width their eyes turn red and when this fish species gets older their bright belly color becomes black or grayish. Their body color can be silver, gold, or black. The upper body has shiny silvery spots. These fish have a blue-like tail and it can also swim very fast over short distances. This fish has a convex head shape like other piranha species.

Piranhas In Captivity

This type of piranha likes its water temperature to be between 75 degrees Fahrenheit and 82 degrees Fahrenheit.  They are a total carnivores and eat a lot of meat. These fish like things such as gold fish, rosy reds, minnows, cod, salmon, catfish, smelt tuna fish, krill, shrimp, mussels, fish flakes, mammals, meat/organs.  However, piranhas aren’t what some people think. These fish are not vicious killers. They are actually quite timid.  They will attack if you do something to provoke them, such as stepping on their eggs.  There have not been very many documented piranha attacks in the wild and the ones that have been reported are usually greatly exaggerated.  If you are interested in purchasing a Red Belly Piranha, you can review some quality aquariums and accessories here Red Belly Piranha .

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