This is the moment a fisherman hauled a large black piranha from a lake where dozens of unsuspecting bathers are swimming just metres away.
The fish, measuring 40 centimetres (15.7 inches), was pulled from Miriti Lake, a popular bathing spot in Manacapuru, Amazonas state, Brazil, on 15th March.
Video shows the fisherman walking from the water, carrying a speargun in one hand and the piranha with the spear still pierced through it in the other, while bathers are clearly visible in the lake behind him.
The black piranha, known scientifically as Serrasalmus rhombeus, is one of the largest and most aggressive piranha species in the Amazon, capable of growing to 50 centimetres (19.6 inches) and weighing up to four kilogrammes (8.8 pounds).
The fisherman is then seen holding up the fearsome predator and commenting on its size, saying: ‘Here at Miriti, look at the size of this animal. Look at the size of this black piranha. First catch of the day, look at the size of this beast.’
The Amazonas Fire Department renewed its attack warning after the catch, pointing to a grim recent record at the site where two piranha attacks were recorded at the same bathing area in 2025, leaving bathers injured, including children.
Despite warning signs being posted, the department said many visitors continue to enter the water. The fish caught is the third such catch at the same spot in less than a week.
Authorities also warned that bathers discarding food waste into the river are actively drawing the predators closer to swimming areas.
Biologist and aquatic ecology expert Edinbergh Caldas Oliveira, of the Federal University of Amazonas, warned that while the species primarily feeds on other fish, the noise and movement of swimmers can attract them leading to bites to the heels and legs.
During breeding season, he said, attacks become even more frequent as the fish grow more aggressive and territorial.
Loading ...