Surely you have heard of the most fierce species of fish, the pirhana. The pirhana is a member if family Characidae, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits in the South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes. The pirhana are known for their sharp teeth and voracious appetite for meat. There are many myths surrounding the pirhana, such as how they can dilacerate a human body or cattle in seconds. These myths refer specifically to the red-bellied pirhana.

A recurrent myth is that the pirhana is instantly attracted to blood, and they are exclusive carnivores. Rare are the occasion when the pirhana directly attack humans, unless the fish are around the fishing docks, where sea food is frequently gutted and entrails are commonly thrown into the water. Not many people know this, but the teeth of pirhana are often used to make all kinds of tools and weapons by the indigenous population. The pirhana is also popular among the South Americans as a very fine dish. The pirhana has also become a tourist souvenir, since many of the specimens have been subject to taxidermy.

The bite of the pirhana has been long considered an act of violence. Researchers have found out that the pirhana bites out of a sense of carelessness. The pirhana is a nuisance to commercial and sport fishers because they steal bait, mutilate, catch or damage the net and other fishing gear. The pirhana has also become a very fashionable pet. Many of the pirhana species appear in the aquarium trade. However, in many parts of the country, they are illegal.

The pirhana has also made on the Hollywood silver screen. There have been many horror and thriller movies that used the pirhana as the villain. Hollywood managed to emblazon the gory image of the pirhana. The first appearance of the pirhana was in the 1967 James Bond film You Only Live Twice, where a piece of meat is shown being fed to pet pirhana owned by the movie’s antagonist.