Piranhas and the Galapagos

      The piranha, one of the most feared fresh water fish in the world, is seen as a vicious, carnivorous predator that patrols the rivers and lakes of South America searching for food. Actually, piranhas are not as aggressive as they may seem. 

      Some are carnivorous, mostly feeding on other fish, however, they are not opposed to meat of any kind, and a few are even herbivores, feeding on algae. This surprised me, considering the photos I've seen of piranhas have so many teeth. A piranha's is appetite is unquenchable one; they are always feeding or looking for something to be their next meal. Their instinct to feast on other animals is mainly triggered by two actions: thrashing in the water or the scent of blood. Some might say this behavior is similar to that of a shark, and in a way, they are right. Sharks use their teeth to tear other fish apart and swallow the pieces whole. Piranhas have “knife-like” or “razor sharp” teeth like sharks, according to Jeremy Wade, a British fisherman. Wade offers a strong case that piranhas actually don’t attack and kill humans in his show River Monsters. He suggests, rather, they are more scavenger than killer (at least when it comes to the consumption of human flesh).  

      They swim in schools of up to, if not, over a hundred individuals. To me, the number of piranhas in a single school is probably their most impressive feature. They grow up to a foot in length and up to two pounds in weight. There are, however, different species of piranha; for example, vampire, black, and red-bellied piranhas are some of the different kinds. Two that live in the Galapagos Islands are the Piranga olivacea and Piranga rubra commonly known as the Scarlet Tanager and Summer Tanager, respectively. You can't even find these two piranhas on the same island. The isolation of the islands has caused the piranhas to vary in appearance, size, and appetite. The Scarlet Tanager can be found on the island of Santa Cruz, while the Summer Tanager is found on the islands of Santiago and Marchena. 

http://www.wikiwand.com/de/Piranhas

      The feeding behavior of these fish are quite remarkable, despite the violence and mess. The ferocious and voracious mentality of these fish can be seen while they devour their prey. Using their strength in numbers and their "razor sharp" teeth, they can strip all of the meat of an animal within minutes (I don't even think I could do that). They create many circuits at different points of the target in which one fish grabs a chunk of meat and rips it away in a swift motion while another piranha behind it quickly does the same in order to keep the chain of fish flowing smoothly. This teamwork and fast eating is the reason the fish frighten many. Eating animals for piranhas and winning games at Kinkaid are very similar in this way. The way these fish work together beautifully demonstrates how an individual piranha would not likely thrive on its own and why they must work together in order to be successful (like us). 

      What do you think? Are these fish as terrifying as they seem and deserve the reputation they have? Why are these predators (or scavengers) so terrifying? Why does a fish so small invoke so much fear into society, jungle dwellers, and swimmers of South America?