How to Tame Piranha in ARK
Aggressive freshwater fish that attack in swarms. Very dangerous in groups.
Quick Facts
- Diet
- Carnivore
- Temperament
- Aggressive
- Tame Method
- Knockout
- Rideable
- No
Piranha Taming Details
Piranha is torpor-immune — it cannot be knocked out, so a standard tranq tame does not apply.
Alternative foods: Cooked Lamb Chop, Raw Prime Meat, Cooked Prime Meat, Raw Meat.
Harvest yield: a tamed or killed Piranha drops Raw Fish Meat, Raw Prime Fish Meat.
Taming Steps
1. Prepare your gear
Bring Tranq Arrows or Tranq Darts, a Crossbow or Longneck Rifle, Narcotics or Narcoberries, and bug repellent.
2. Locate the creature
Find a wild Piranha on supported maps. Check the spawn map and bring a fast mount or a flyer for transport.
3. Knock it out
Piranha is a knockout tame. Use a Crossbow, Longneck Rifle with Tranq Darts, or Shocking Tranq Darts. Aim for the head for bonus torpor and keep distance to avoid aggro damage.
4. Feed the right food
Place Kibble (preferred) or Raw Mutton in its inventory (alternatives: Cooked Lamb Chop, Raw Prime Meat, Cooked Prime Meat, Raw Meat). Higher-tier food gives faster taming and higher level bonuses.
5. Maintain torpor
Watch the torpor bar. Feed Narcoberries or Narcotics to prevent it from waking up before the tame completes.
6. Claim & saddle
Once tamed, Piranha will follow your commands. It cannot be ridden.
Piranha base stats
Level 1 wild values, with the gain each point adds in the wild and after taming.
| Stat | Base | Per wild level | Per tamed level |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health | 150 | +20.0% | +27.0% |
| Stamina | 120 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Oxygen | 150 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Food | 1200 | +10.0% | +10.0% |
| Weight | 15 | +2.0% | +4.0% |
| Melee damage | 1 | +5.0% | +10.0% |
| Movement speed | 1 | +0.0% | +1.0% |
| Torpidity | 250 | +6.0% | +0.0% |
Breeding & movement
Where it spawns & other details
Piranha spawns on The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Extinction, Astraeos, Lost Colony, Genesis Part 1, Scorched Earth.
Piranha variants
- Aberrant Piranha
- Eerie Megapiranha
Related tools & resources
Piranha — Background & Lore
The Piranha is a small, aggressive river fish that attacks in swarms. A group can kill a careless survivor in seconds.
Where to find it
Rivers and swamps on The Island, The Center, Ragnarok, Valguero, Extinction and Genesis Part 1 in both games, on Astraeos, Lost Colony and Scorched Earth in ASA, and on Crystal Isles, Fjordur, Lost Island and Genesis Part 2 in ASE.
Uses
Raw Fish Meat when killed.
Tips
Cross rivers on a mount or a raft, never on foot.