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Vegetarian piranhas
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cherimoya An electric eel (Electrophorus electricus) swims among submerged tree branches, its long, thick body and rounded head visible in the water.

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cherimoya
cherimoya Cherimoya (Annona cherimola).

Vegetarian piranhas

Written by
Sy Montgomery
Natural history writer. Author of Journey of the Pink Dolhpins: An Amazon Quest and Spell of the Tiger in addition to other books and articles.
Sy Montgomery
Fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

Unlike anywhere else on Earth, in the flooded forests of the Amazon many fish feed on seeds and fruit for a significant part of the year—an arrangement that has sculpted unique adaptations in both plants and animals. When the annual rains come, the rivers rise and engulf much of the forest, inundating a floodplain the size of England for up to seven months a year. Most trees fruit during this high-water season, and at the...

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