Georgia Aquarium's piranhas recently laid several eggs in their exhibit, which have begun to hatch! Georgia Aquarium biologists discovered the eggs in the piranha exhibit after noticing changes in some of the piranha's behavior. The adult piranhas were swimming more exclusively at the exhibit's bottom and tended to move about in circles, as if protecting something.  After discovering the eggs, Aquarium biologists moved them to smaller exhibits so that they could hatch safely. The young piranhas, referred to as fry, will be raised in exhibits separate from the general population, which would eat them because of their small size. When they're big enough, the piranhas will either be introduced into the current exhibit of more than 300 piranhas or be given a new exhibit of their own.

The red piranha is a freshwater fish found most often in the basins of the Amazon, Paraguay-Parana and Essequibo Rivers. This species prefers areas with dense vegetation such as creeks and interconnected ponds where they can easily hide and ambush their prey.

Piranhas feed communally in groups of 20-30 individual fish that attack prey in a feeding frenzy that is further stimulated by the presence of blood in the water. In addition to these carnivorous attacks, the red piranha scavenges for food such as insects, snails, worms and plants. They rarely attack humans, unless blood is present in the water. Those species that prey upon the red piranha include crocodiles, some birds, large catfish and large mammals such as jaguars.

You can visit these floating carnivores in the River Scout gallery at the Georgia Aquarium.

• Male and female piranhas are alike externally, and can grow up to 12 inches long.
• Their stocky bodies have reddish bellies, but overall coloration varies.
• Their powerful jaws house triangular, interlocking, sharp teeth.
• They can maintain a voracious bite by replacing teeth on alternate sides of the jaw.
• A hierarchical structure often exists in small schools.

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