# OMG WHAT'S THE MOST AGGRESSIVE PIRANHA?!?!



## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

Well, after seeing thread after thread pop-up about what the "most aggressive" piranha is, I thought I'd write a short article before moving on to do my homework.

*What's the most aggressive piranha?!?!?*

This question can only be answered through speculation and personal observation. While one person may tell you that his S. Elongatus is the most aggressive and unshy fish he's ever owned, another might come around and say that his P. Nattereri has killed all of his tankmates, including other pygos [see Genin's Shogei]. Different fish react differently to different situations and living conditions. When thinking of aggression in these terms cichlids come to mind. Heightened aggression has been shown in these fish when kept in confined spaces. I.E. a glass banging midas in a 55 gallon tank may not be so aggressive in a 200gallon.

There has been no study in piranha aggression in regards to tanksize. People only respond to common rumor or observation, which is why you get a few of the same species ranking within the top 3, those usually being the S. elongatus, S. irritan, S. altuvie, and P. notatus/caribe for the pygocentrus family. Though, I can tell you from experience that my caribes were not very aggressive at all.

So then, what really IS the most aggressive piranha? No one can really say. But does it really matter? As you'll come quickly to see, buying a piranha for its fabled aggression is a bad choice. You'll be disappointed when you walk into the room to watch the furious beasts scramble to hide under a rock because of your presence. Instead, buying a fish for the beauty of the fish itself is a better alternative.

In addition, some common factors have come into play in regards to certain fish. For instance, it's a very popular saying that a S. Rhombeus break its "shell" past a certain size, when it will begin to show less skittishness and more aggression. There is logic to this, and can be applie to many other fish. It is in a fish's nature to be very weary of its surroundings due to the predatory nature of its natural habitat.l This in mind, makes it easy to conclude that a juvenile fish would be much more skittish. After all, baby piranhas stay close to cover and are not open water fishes.

Furthermore, a large S. rhombeus IS indeed an open water fish. This could explain the reason for their shyness leaving them past a certain size [usually around 6-8 inches]. The same rule could be applied to other species as well. For instance, I noticed that my 9" ternetzi showed much less skittishness than my 5" caribe. And a full grown elongatus [a river fish] would be much more active and territorial than say, a 3" juvenile elongatus.

To conclude, I would like to advise people not to give in to the aggression stories. Instead, buy a fish for what it is. It'll save you money and disappointment. There is much more to be seen in piranhas than just their aggression.

For some more information, OPEFE has a related article [piranha myths]


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## Umbilical Syllables (Dec 16, 2004)

Give this man a medal, or at least pin the thread.


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

you beat me to it, i just started thinkin about doin this and gathering

my references to try and get started, i even started an outline :laugh:

would like to add that a hungry piranha may seem more aggressive also


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

i never write outlines, though i'm thinking that i should start. and i don't really have references for this one, just stuff off of the top of my head. but i'd still liek to read your take on it, freez.


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## MR.FREEZ (Jan 26, 2004)

hyphen said:


> i never write outlines, though i'm thinking that i should start. and i don't really have references for this one, just stuff off of the top of my head. but i'd still liek to read your take on it, freez.
> [snapback]915133[/snapback]​










i havent even really started and i need to outline or it would never come out

sounding organize and the info would never flow right, the ideals just keep swirling around

in my head, beside once this is pinned and discussion starts it will be the definitive

thread on piranha agression


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

MR.FREEZ said:


> hyphen said:
> 
> 
> > i never write outlines, though i'm thinking that i should start. and i don't really have references for this one, just stuff off of the top of my head. but i'd still liek to read your take on it, freez.
> ...


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

I don't know, sounds kind of familiar to me.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

hastatus said:


> I don't know, sounds kind of familiar to me.:laugh:
> [snapback]915158[/snapback]​


did i unintentionally rip someones work? if i did let me know :/


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Relax, no one is accusing you of anything. Its actually quite good. I have a couple pages at OPEFE that sing the same song. Good writing skills!


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## Sheppard (Jul 8, 2004)

hey freez, still writes yours...we still want to hear your side of it


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## Soldat (Aug 28, 2004)

Good work, its about time this was written. It needs to be in the darn portal of Pfury.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

hastatus said:


> Relax, no one is accusing you of anything. Its actually quite good. I have a couple pages at OPEFE that sing the same song. Good writing skills!
> 
> 
> 
> ...


took me a while, but i found it and plugged the link. youre subtle humor gets past me sometimes.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

> hyphen Posted Today, 04:46 PM
> QUOTE(hastatus @ Mar 1 2005, 03:32 PM)
> Relax, no one is accusing you of anything. Its actually quite good. I have a couple pages at OPEFE that sing the same song. Good writing skills!
> 
> took me a while, but i found it and plugged the link.* youre subtle humor gets past me sometimes. *


Hmmm, that's what my adult kids tell me too.


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## benJii (Feb 17, 2005)

NOW THIS NEEDS A STICKY


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## shoe997bed263 (Oct 15, 2004)

i have also been thinking of writing something along these lines, but dont feel the need to now i think you summed it up perfectly. should be pinned great info.


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## Scolopendra (Feb 24, 2005)

I could not agree more!!!!!! Very nice post, well written with good closure. I get the same question AT LEAST daily at work. Some of societies sickest come from unexpecting places and vise versa.


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## hyphen (Apr 4, 2004)

just because i wrote doesn't mean other people can't either :/ i'd actually like to read some input from other members


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