A piranha or piraña (, or ) is a member of a family of omnivorous freshwater fish which live in South American rivers. In Venezuelan rivers they are called caribes. They are known for their sharp teeth and an aggressive appetite for meat. Etymology The name piranha may come from a hybrid language composed of Tupi-Guarani languages; it may be a compound word made of the components pirá, meaning 'fish', and sanha or ranha, meaning 'tooth'. In Tupi, inalienably possessed nouns take the prefix t-, s-, or r- depending on the possessor, or zero in combination; thus pirá + anha. Alternatively, it may come from Tupi pirá (fish) and ánha (devil). Taxonomy Piranhas belong to the family of Serrasalmidae (though some scientists still classify them in the family Characidae which als

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z # TAGS