Justin Grubich from American University in Cairo has discovered that modern relatives of the prehistoric megapiranha have some of the strongest bites of any fish, relative to their size. In this video below, courtesy of National Geographic, the crew sets out to test a piranha's bite force — and the results are jaw-dropping. First up, the crew picks up a bicuda fish, which resembles a torpedo and has very tiny teeth. Its bite force meter is upwards of 16, which is impressive. But it's the next fish that blows Grubich's mind.
The crew is able to catch a two-pound black piranha, which is the perfect specimen to test how the megapiranha lived in these same waters, and also the bite force of its grip. The piranha's teeth are designed for attacking prey from behind and taking huge chunks out of flesh and bone. For Grubich, this is the catch of a lifetime. "To be out here in the Amazon and catch one of these, it's magic," he says. "I don't see anything ugly about this fish. This is just amazing to me."
I won't give away the results, but I will say the piranha has a bite grip 30 times its weight. Compare that to a great white shark, whose bite force just matches its body weight. Truly incredible.
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Note: No living creatures were harmed in the making of this video.
