The Amazon River is fed by the largest drainage basin in the world, over 7 million square kilometers. The discharge rate averages over 200,000 cubic meters per second. The volume of the discharge alters the salt content and color of the Atlantic Ocean for a distance of 320 kilometers from the mouth of the Amazon River.
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Serrasalmus rhombeus - Of the several species of piranha, or caribe as they are known in Venezuela, only four are considered dangerous. The carnivorous species have wedge shaped teeth to allow them to cut flesh from their prey, consisting primarily of smaller fish. The red-eye piranha ranges in length from 25 to 41 centimeters and is found throughout Amazonia. Although there have been incidents of piranha attacking people, reports of frenzied attacks on humans, cattle or small mammals are widely exaggerated..
