How Strong Piranha Bites Can Tear Through Flesh and Bones

Piranhas are notorious for their strong bites that can seemingly chop through anything. With sharp teeth and powerful jaws, piranhas are amazing hunters in the water. But what can these fish bite through? This video by The Great Outdoors shows a piranha biting through a small twig, raising questions about what else it can bite through. Read here to find out more!

Piranha Anatomy

The danger of piranhas lies in their teeth. Their teeth are triangular and blade-like, with the top and bottom row interlocking with each other to create a firm bite. Because the teeth are packed tightly together, this interlocking creates a serrated edge that can tear through whatever they bite. Because biting is their main method of attack, piranhas have evolved over centuries to continuously replace their teeth. When one tooth is lost, a new one quickly grows in. This cycle ensures they are always able to bite through their prey.

What Can Piranhas Bite Through?

Piranhas use their teeth primarily for hunting. They can bite through the skin and muscle of other fish and amphibians, shredding them into pieces. While they primarily target flesh, some piranha species are capable of biting through and consuming small bones, especially when scavenging. Because they use their teeth for hunting, they are more specialized for biting through organic material. So while they can bite through the dense and tough muscles of animals, it is less likely that they can bite through plastics or thick branches, as shown in the video above.

While they are known as voracious fish that can kill their prey quickly, piranhas are generally omnivores. Along with fish, they feed on seeds, fruit, and other vegetation. In these cases, they use their teeth differently, scraping and gnawing on plant materials. This gives piranhas a varied diet of different creatures and plants, which can differ between species and ecosystems.

Do Piranhas Attack Humans?

Piranhas may attack humans, but it is less likely than people think. Because they are opportunistic hunters and humans are not normally part of their diet, they do not seek out humans even when sharing the same water. However, this does not mean humans are safe. Piranhas target humans if they are stressed or provoked, such as through poor handling. When this occurs, a piranha can tear through skin, causing cuts, lacerations, and sometimes deep wounds. This makes it important to give them their space and handle them properly; otherwise, you risk a nasty bite. On the bright side, fatalities related to piranhas are extremely rare!