Piranha, also called caribe or piraya, any of more than 60 species of razor-toothed carnivorous fish of South American rivers and lakes, with a somewhat exaggerated reputation for ferocity. In movies such as Piranha (1978), the piranha has been depicted as a ravenous indiscriminate killer. Most species, however, are scavengers or feed on plant material.A piranha or piraña ( / p ɪ ˈ r ɑː n j ə / , / p ɪ ˈ r æ n j ə / , or / p ɪ ˈ r ɑː n ə / ; Portuguese: [piˈɾɐ̃ɲɐ] , Spanish: [piˈɾaɲa] ), a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, is a freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Although often described as extremely predatory and mainly feeding on fish, their dietary habits vary extensively, and they will also take plant material,leading to their classification as omnivorous. Piranhas belong to the subfamily Serrasalminae, which includes closely related omnivorous fish suc...