Native to the Amazon River Basin, red-bellied piranhas are primarily scavengers, feeding on weak, injured and dead animals, as well as the occasional plant material. A set of razor-sharp teeth help them to remove bite-sized portions of larger meals. 

Here at the National Aquarium, the small school of red-bellied piranhas in the Upland Tropical Rain Forest exhibit are fed pieces of fish several times a week. 

Herpetologist CJ Weaver recently caught one of these feedings on film, by attaching fish to a feeding pole equipped with a GoPro camera. Check out the video below!

Stay tuned for more behind-the-scenes updates from our team!