Sixth Grade
Worksheets
Piranha
If someone mentions the fish called piranha, what do you think? Do you think of thousands of hungry mouths attacking an animal, leaving nothing but bones in minutes? That is how piranhas have been portrayed in movies, but is it true?
Piranhas are freshwater fish that live in the Amazon River in South America. They are known for their razor-sharp, interlocking teeth. Some piranhas don't eat meat at all. They eat seeds and plant material that fall into the water.
Piranhas average about eight inches or about 20 cm in length, but some rare individuals may grow as large as 24 inches or 60 cm long. Attacks against humans by the fish are rare, usually only happening in summer months when water levels are low and the fish are under stress. Native fishermen contend that only careless people are injured by piranhas.
