Some piranhas do not even eat meat at all – they are herbivores. Others are omnivores and are just as partial to seeds as they are to fresh flesh.

Wimple piranhas (Catoprion mento) have everted (outward-pointing) teeth and jaws that open to more than 180 degrees, which makes them perfect for scraping scales off other fish. It’s not surprising, therefore, that their diet mainly consists of fish scales with some plant material (including root wads), some algae, and the occasional aquatic beetle larva.