Outsized jaw muscles allow the black piranha to exert bite force equivalent to 30 times its bodyweight, a feat unmatched in the natural world, according to results of a finger-risking study published Thursday.
Other animals like the great white shark, the hyena and the alligator can deliver more forceful bites, but their crunching power becomes much less impressive when viewed in relation to their overall size and weight, it said.
In fact, relative to their size, piranhas outperform even prehistoric monsters like Tyrannosaurus rex and the whale-chomping megalodon, a massive shark that preceded the great white, said the study.
Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research saw scientists catch 15 black piranhas in Brazil's Amazon River basin and risk their digits by teasing a customised force gauge between their serrated jaws.
The fish, ranging from about 20 to 37 centimetres (eight to 15 inches) in length, "readily performed multiple defensive bites" on the gadget, wrote the team from the United States, Egypt and Brazil.
This was the first live measurement of bite force taken from the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), the largest of the notoriously carnivorous species.
Such undertakings are "rare, dangerous and difficult to perform," wrote the research team.
"While anecdotes of piranha-infested waters skeletonising hapless victims are generally hyperbole, the effectiveness of their bite is not," the scientists added.
They pointed to "documented cases of S. rhombeus biting off and consuming human phalanges"—the bones found in fingers and toes.
The measured bite force of the black piranha, at 320 newton (N), was nearly three times greater than that exerted by an American alligator of comparative size, said the study.
One newton is the force required to move a kilogramme (2.2 pounds) of mass at one metre (3.25 feet) per second squared.
How does the tiny fish do it?
It has jaw muscles of an "extraordinary" size and a highly modified jaw-closing lever, said the team.
In fact, the muscle complex makes more than two percent of the black piranha's total body mass.
The team also used the data they gathered to estimate the bite force of the extinct Megapiranha paranensis to have been between 1,240 and 4,749 N.
The fish from the Miocene period, which ended about five million years ago, would have been about 70 centimetres long and weighed about 10 kilogrammes (22 pounds), they said.
"Our analysis predicts Megapiranha's bite was equivalent to the anterior bite force of a great white shark weighing over 400 kilos (880 pounds)," said the report.
And though their diet remains a secret of history, the monster fish would have been able to crush turtles, armoured catfish and even larger terrestrial animals.
"If our fossil reconstructions and simulations are correct, then Megapiranha paranensis was indeed a ferocious bone-crushing mega-predator of the Miocene epoch," just like its modern-day relative, said the report.
"Our results for living and extinct species validate the fearsome predatory reputations of piranhas."
More information:Mega-Bites: Extreme jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas, www.nature.com/srep/2012/12122 … /full/srep01009.html
Journal information:Scientific Reports
(c) 2012 AFP
Citation:Piranha tops T Rex in the bite league, study finds (2012, December 20)retrieved 15 December 2023from https://phys.org/news/2012-12-piranha-tops-rex-league.html
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I'm an enthusiast with a deep understanding of biomechanics, particularly in the context of jaw morphology and bite forces in animals. My knowledge spans various species, from modern predators to prehistoric creatures, allowing me to delve into the intricacies of their anatomy and behavior.
The article discusses the remarkable biting capabilities of the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) and its jaw muscles, which enable it to exert a bite force equivalent to 30 times its bodyweight. This feat is unparalleled in the natural world and has been substantiated by a study that involved measuring the bite force of live black piranhas in Brazil's Amazon River basin.
The research team, consisting of scientists from the United States, Egypt, and Brazil, employed a custom-designed force gauge to measure the bite force of the black piranha. This involved risking their own fingers by teasing the gauge between the serrated jaws of the piranhas. The study highlighted the rarity, danger, and difficulty of such undertakings but emphasized the importance of understanding the true capabilities of these notorious carnivores.
The black piranha's measured bite force of 320 newtons (N) was nearly three times greater than that of an American alligator of comparable size. The key to this extraordinary biting ability lies in the black piranha's jaw muscles, which make up more than two percent of its total body mass. The study also estimated the bite force of the extinct Megapiranha paranensis, a fish from the Miocene period, to be between 1,240 and 4,749 N.
The researchers suggested that Megapiranha paranensis, which lived about five million years ago, was a formidable bone-crushing mega-predator, similar to its modern-day relative. The study compared the estimated bite force of Megapiranha paranensis to the anterior bite force of a great white shark weighing over 400 kilograms (880 pounds). The findings validate the fearsome predatory reputation of piranhas, both living and extinct.
In conclusion, the article provides insights into the exceptional biting capabilities of the black piranha, supported by evidence from live measurements and comparative analyses with other species, including extinct ones like Megapiranha paranensis. This research enhances our understanding of the biomechanics of predatory behavior in aquatic ecosystems and contributes to the broader field of evolutionary biology.
