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Encyclopedia / Oddballs & Predators / Red-bellied piranha
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Variations

3 kinds · tap one for a closer look

Red-bellied piranha

Pygocentrus nattereri · Red piranha, Natterer's piranha, Piranha

Needs a school of five or more (alone it becomes shy or aggressive) and eats any tankmate that fits in its mouth.

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· real AED shop prices, never conversions
35 cmBody length, without tail ✓
24–28 °CTemperature ✓
5.5–7.5pH ✓
1296 LSmallest tank ✓
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Tank mates
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Not recommended
  • Red-bellied piranha eats animals up to about 15 cm. Neon tetra only grows to 2.5 cm.
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: 24–25 °C.
Not recommended
  • Red-bellied piranha eats animals up to about 15 cm. Cardinal tetra only grows to 3 cm.
Not recommended
  • Red-bellied piranha eats animals up to about 15 cm. Black neon tetra only grows to 3.2 cm.
With conditions
  • Only a narrow temperature range suits both: exactly 24 °C.
With conditions
  • Rift lake cichlids like frontosa need hard, alkaline water and a busy, cichlid-only tank.
  • Their pH needs don't quite meet (5.5–7.5 vs 8–9). Aim between the two and keep it steady.
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible
Compatible

84 species in our list are a good match.

Facts checked against sources on 16 Oct 2026. ✓ means a source backs it; ? means no reliable source yet. See sources

Care and water

Hardness ✓2–12 dGH
Group size ✓5 or more
Temperament ✓Aggressive
Swims at ✓Middle
Care level ✓Hard
Diet Carnivore
Lifespan ?Unknown
Size in shops 3–5 cm
Growth Medium

Behavior

Needs a school of five or more (alone it becomes shy or aggressive) and eats any tankmate that fits in its mouth.

Check your local laws. This animal is banned or needs a permit in some places, for example several US states. Check the rules where you live before you buy one, and never release it into the wild.

Food

Fish fillet, prawns, earthworms and pellets; feed in moderation.

Tap a food to see what it is.

Male or female

Hard to sex; females usually grow larger and rounder-bodied. Breeding fish of both sexes darken.

Health

Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.

Breeding

Nest guarder (egg layer) ·

Relatively easy to breed in a large aquarium. Fish mature at about a year and 10-15 cm TL; the male digs a nest pit and guards the eggs, which are laid in batches.

Pairing

Raise a group together and let a pair form; bonded pairs spawn in a big tank.

Setup

Very large tank (600 L+) with a sand or gravel nest area, plants and wood, warm soft water.

What starts it

Stable warm water, rainy-season style water changes and heavy feeding.

Eggs

Females lay several thousand eggs (FishBase: 4,000-5,000); eggs hatch in 2-3 days and fry swim freely by about day 5.

Raising the fry

Fry are guarded by the male; feed newly hatched brine shrimp then chopped shrimp and fish; separate by size to prevent cannibalism.

Common mistakes
  • Tank too small
  • Mixing sizes
  • Disturbing the guarding male
Full breeding guide, day-by-day plan and simulator →

Where it lives in the wild

RegionTropical South America – Amazon, Paraná–Paraguay and Essequibo basins
Rivers and lakesAmazon, Paraná–Paraguay and Essequibo rivers
HabitatRivers, floodplain lakes and flooded forest
Native rangeAbout 2,500 km across
See it on the world map

The story of the red-bellied piranha

The classic piranha from the Amazon and Parana-Paraguay basins. It is an opportunistic feeder that often scavenges and bites fins; attacks on live animals are very rare. Its man-eating reputation traces to a staged feeding frenzy for Theodore Roosevelt in Brazil in 1913. Piranhas are restricted or prohibited in several US states, including California, Texas and Washington.

Rudolf Kner described the red-bellied piranha in 1858, honouring the collector Johann Natterer, who spent 18 years exploring Brazil. It is the best-known piranha and has been bred in captivity for decades. Despite its fearsome reputation, it is a rather nervous fish that mostly scavenges and hunts in groups for safety.

First described by Rudolf Kner in 1858. Named for Named after Austrian naturalist Johann Natterer, who collected in Brazil.

  • Piranhas regularly replace their sharp, interlocking teeth throughout life.
  • Red-bellied piranhas make barking or drumming sounds using muscles attached to the swim bladder.
  • Shoaling is mainly defensive: piranhas themselves are eaten by caimans, river dolphins and large birds.

Sources

17 facts checked with sources