The
red-bellied piranha (
Pygocentrus nattereri), also known as the red piranha, is a
species of
piranha native to South America, found in the
Amazon,
Paraguay,
Paraná and
Essequibo basins, as well as the coastal rivers of northeastern Brazil. They are omnivorous foragers and feed on insects, worms, crustaceans, and fish. Red-bellied piranhas often travel in
shoals as a predatory defense but rarely exhibit group hunting behavior. Acoustic communication is common and is sometimes exhibited along with aggressive behaviors. They are also often kept as an
aquarium species. This fish was photographed at
Karlsruhe Zoo in Germany.
Photograph credit: H. Zell