Daniel Manaigre, age 13, of St. Boneface, Mta., Canada, for his question:

WHAT IS A PIRANHA?

The piranha is a bloodthirsty fish that is found in the Amazon River in South America. Scientists say it is much more dangerous than the shark. Although it only measures between 4 and 18 inches in length, a great number of fish can attack at once, and in a few minutes they will completely strip the flesh from an animal or human.

At times, a cluster of several thousand piranhas will travel together.

There are actually about 20 different kinds of piranha. Some are blue gray in color while others can be yellow, green or spotted with red or gold. One species in the family sticks strictly to plants for his diet.