The piranha is a deadly fish known to attack humans. Be careful when you’re swimming, because piranhas will eat you alive.

What is it?
The piranha is a fierce fish with tightly packed, interlocking teeth used for rapid puncture and shearing. Its bite is sometimes sharper than scissors. They travel as a pack–or shoal–of about 20 piranhas and are capable of stripping an animal of its flesh within minutes. They are sometimes seen vs sharks where they quickly devour their prey. When they’re in a feeding frenzy, the water appears to boil and churn red with blood as is seen in the movie trailer.

Where are They located?
Piranhas are indigenous to the Amazon basin as well as other rivers throughout South America such as the Orinoco, the Paraguay-Paraná, and the São Francisco River. Some Southern Americans go piranha fishing because it is a good source of food for them. The biggest piranha was found in the Amazon River and it looked like a monster of a fish.

How Will They Kill You?
Piranha attacks peak in the dry season when food is scarce and water levels are low. They’re more likely to attack when splashes are made, at which point they come and start tearing off pieces of your skin. The blood from these wounds attract even more piranha that come to prey on the rest of your body. If you’re not eaten alive, you can bleed to death from all the bites you’ll sustain throughout your body.

How to Survive or Avoid Danger:
Avoid swimming with piranhas in the dry season. This typically lasts from April to September. And if you MUST enter piranha-infested waters, wait till night time to enter the water as they typically hunt during the day and sleep at night. Also, cover up cuts or open wounds since blood attracts this vicious and deadly fish. Once you’re in the water, avoid making splashes by swimming or walking in smooth, fluid motions. And as a last-ditch effort, create a diversion downstream from where you’ll be at by releasing a substantial quantity of raw meat such as an animal carcass. If you’ve been bit, exit the water immediately in order to avoid further bites and to get your wounds treated and prevent infection.

So which horror film director made a guest appearance in the 2010 film Piranha 3D?
Eli Roth made a brief appearance in Piranha 3D where he played the role of the wet t-shirt contest host who died in a bloodbath. Check out the full movie Piranha 3DD to see him.

So would you rather…be bit by piranhas? Or be born with Harlequin ichthyosis?