Piranha's bite found more powerful than a Dinosaur's - study

According to a team of scientists of the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, the extinct megapiranha (Megapiranha paranensis) and the black piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus) have the most powerful bites of carnivorous fishes, living or extinct.            

A study conducted revealed that the Piranhas’ aggressive nature, relatively small size and accessible populations make them a suitable group of predatory vertebrates in which to study the evolution of extreme biting capabilities. Even at their small body sizes, diet studies indicate that piranhas will attack and bite chunks of bony fins and flesh from prey many times larger than themselves.     

In spite of their reputation, no quantitative data or empirical estimates regarding the piranhas biting abilities were available.          

The study, published in the Scientific Reports, reveals the bite force of the megapiranha, showing that for its relatively diminutive body size, the bite of this fossil species dwarfed that of other extinct mega-predators, including the whale-eating shark.              

The study also reports the first bite-force measurements taken from wild specimens of the black piranha, and describes the underlying functional morphology of the jaws that allows this creature to bite with a force more than 30 times greater than its weight.                    

The powerful bite is achieved primarily due to the large muscle mass of the black piranha’s jaw and the efficient transmission of its large contractile forces through a highly modified jaw-closing lever.