Petey Piranha is certainly recognizable as a Piranha Plant, but he differs starkly from a typical one. According to ''[[Mario Superstar Baseball]]'', he got his looks from a mutation. Petey is characterized by a remarkably large head and a comparably small body. He has a round, protuberant belly and a large belly button, but it's only visible if his stomach is inflated with a great quantity of water. Additionally, he has leaf-like arms and stubby legs, both of which grant him mobility beyond his pipe-dwelling "cousins". He also has green lips, which are similar to the lips of the old Piranha Plants but now contrast the white lips of the new Piranha Plants. He wears red pants with white polka dots, matching the coloration of his head. His most distinguishing feature is a ring of yellow petals with orange rims around his head, resembling a crown or a mane. In his first appearance, these petals have an iridescent quality, becoming a vibrant, fiery orange or a shiny white (with pinkish rims) depending on the angle of the light, but this trait is no longer present beyond ''[[Super Mario Sunshine]]''. Petey is also of a much greater size than normal Piranha Plants, easily standing six times Mario's height, though when depicted with a sprite or encountered in sports and spin-offs, he's smaller. ''Mario Superstar Baseball'' is the first game to portray Petey Piranha with a tongue, which was also seen in every game following.
Petey Piranha is one lucky Piranha Plant. Instead of popping in and out of a green pipe, he gets the opportunity to roam free on his spiky, green legs (although he prefers to drive in Mario Kart). His chest is dotted with dark green spots, and sharp, spiny leaves serve as his arms. His head is huge compared to his body, and it is red with white dots speckled on it. Yellow petals outlined in orange surround his head. He has big green lips, and his teeth are extra deadly and sharper than an ordinary Piranha Plant. His only article of clothing is a pair of red and white dotted underwear. No one knows why he likes that pair of underwear so much, but some just guess he wears them because they make him look amazingly trendy. Amazingly.
