A type of freshwater fish found mainly in South America and Africa, often kept in aquariums, that typically has teeth and a small fatty fin on its back.
From the family name Characidae, derived from Greek 'charax' meaning pointed stake or palisade, referring to the sharp teeth characteristic of these fish. The suffix '-in' indicates a member of a chemical or biological family.
Piranhas are actually characins! Despite their fearsome reputation, most characin species are peaceful and many are popular in home aquariums—tetras and hatchetfish are all characins too.
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