Redeye piranha

Last updated

Redeye piranha
BlackPirahna2010.jpg
At Louisville Zoo
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Serrasalmidae
Genus: Serrasalmus
Species:
S. rhombeus
Binomial name
Serrasalmus rhombeus
(Linnaeus, 1766)
Synonyms [1]
  • Salmo rhombeusLinnaeus, 1766
  • Serrasalmus niger Jardine, 1841
  • Serrasalmo immaculatus Cope, 1878
  • Serrasalmus paraense Steindachner, 1908
  • Serrasalmus boekeri Ahl, 1931
  • Serrasalmus normani Géry, 1964
  • Pygocentrus normani(Géry, 1964)

The redeye piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus), also known as the black piranha, white piranha, spotted piranha or yellow piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a piranha from the family Serrasalmidae. It is found in northern South America. It is the type species of the genus Serrasalmus .

Contents

Description

The redeye piranha is the largest species of piranha. It has a distinctively, rhombus-shaped body, solidly coloured from grey through to nearly black. Whatever the body colour, this species has red eyes. The colour of juveniles can be more mottled than in adults. As they mature their silvery body becomes less mottled and changes to a darker grey or black colour. How dark the fish become depends on the local water conditions; fish in Peru appear to be the darkest and may be almost jet black. [2] The maximum recorded fish measurement standard length is 41.5–61 centimetres (16.3–24.0 in), [1] [3] although a more normal length is around 32 centimetres (13 in), [2] and they attain a maximum weight of 3.0 kilograms (6.6 lb). [1]

Distribution

The redeye piranha is found in northern South America, east of the Andes. They are found in the drainage systems of the Amazon and Orinoco as well as the Essequibo River and other rivers of the Guiana Shield and the coastal rivers of northeastern Brazil. [1] It has been introduced to Florida but is now extirpated. [4]

Habitat and biology

The redeye piranha occurs in a wide variety of habitats but the adults have a preference for the larger, deeper river channels where they normally hunt for prey either in deep stretches or in the vicinity of rapids. The juveniles are most frequently recorded in stiller stretches where there is thick submerged or marginal vegetation. Paler coloured fish tend to be found in turbid white waters, while in clear or dark waters, dark fish predominate. [5] These fish are opportunistic and omnivorous feeders which will eat plants, fallen fruits and animals smaller than themselves such as insects and small fishes. They will also eat the scales and fins which they can nip off other fishes. They are well known scavengers, and feed on carcasses within the river. [2] [5] This is not a sociable species and normally lives solitarily. At least when breeding they defend an area around the nest which is placed among thick vegetation. [5]

Taxonomy

The redeye piranha was first formally described in 1766 as Salmo rhombeus with the type locality given as Brokopondo on the Suriname River in Surinam. [6] When Bernard Germain de Lacépède created the genus Serrasalmus in 1803 the only species he placed in it was Salmo rhombeus, so this species is the type species of its genus. [7] The morphological differences between populations suggest that S. rhombeus is a species complex, [4] but molecular work to confirm this has yet to be undertaken. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Black sea bass</span> Species of fish

The black sea bass is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sea bass from the subfamily Serraninae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the groupers and anthias. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean, where it is an important species for commercial and recreational fisheries.

<i>Serrasalmus</i> Genus of fishes

Serrasalmus is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in Pygocentrus. Like all piranhas, Serrasalmus are native to South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian herring</span> Species of fish

The Australian herring, also known as the ruff, tommy ruff, or Australian ruff, is one of four Australasian fish species within the genus Arripis. It closely resembles its sister species, the Australian salmon, although it grows to a smaller size. Like the other members of its genus, it is found in cooler waters around the southern coast of Australia. It is not biologically related to the herring family Clupeidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blacktip grouper</span> Species of fish

The blacktip grouper, also known as the redbanded grouper, blacktipped cod, black-tipped rockcod, footballer cod, red-barred cod, red-barred rockcod, scarlet rock-cod or weathered rock-cod, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the tropical Indo-Pacific region. It is the type species of the genus Epinephelus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Snowy grouper</span> Species of fish

The snowy grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the western Atlantic Ocean.

<i>Parachaetodon</i> Genus of fishes

Parachaetodon is a monotypic genus of butterflyfishes, the only species being the sixspine butterflyfish, which is also known as the ocellate butterflyfish or eyespot butterflyfish. is a species of butterflyfish native to tropical reefs of the eastern Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sling-jaw wrasse</span> Species of fish

The slingjaw wrasse is a species of wrasse from the family Labridae which is native to the tropical waters of the Indo-Pacific where it occurs around coral reefs. This species is of minor importance to local commercial fisheries and can be found in the aquarium trade. Relatively mundane at first glance, this fish is notable for its highly protrusible jaws.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ornate rainbowfish</span> Species of fish

The ornate rainbowfish is a species of rainbowfish endemic to an area in eastern Australia, where it is native to coastal regions and sandy offshore islands in southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. It is the only known member of its genus. It is a popular aquarium fish.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redmouth grouper</span> Species of fish

The redmouth grouper, also known as the red-flushed rock cod is a species of ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It has a wide distribution in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is considered a game fish.

<i>Sparisoma chrysopterum</i> Species of fish

Sparisoma chrysopterum is a species of parrotfish.

<i>Diploprion bifasciatum</i> Species of fish

Diploprion bifasciatum, the barred soapfish, also known as the doublebanded soapfish, two banded grouper, two-banded sea perch, two-banded soapfish, yellow emperor or yellow striped grouper, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, related to the groupers and included in the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Indo-Pacific region.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nightfish</span> Species of fish

The nightfish is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a temperate perch from the family Percichthyidae which is endemic to southwestern Australia.

<i>Iniistius pavo</i> Species of fish

Iniistius pavo, the peacock wrasse or blue razorfish, is a species of marine ray-finned fish from the family Labridae, the wrasses, which has a wide Indo-Pacific distribution.

The dwarf paradise fish, also known as the streamer threadfin or streamered tasselfish, is a species of ray-finned fish from a family Polynemidae, the threadfins. It is the only species in the genus Parapolynemus and it is found in Australia and New Guinea.

<i>Pempheris multiradiata</i> Species of fish

Pempheris multiradiata, the bigscale bullseye, large-scaled bullseye or common bullseye, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a sweeper from the family Pempheridae which is found in the coastal waters of southern Australia.

<i>Gobiomorphus coxii</i> Species of fish

Gobiomorphus coxii, or Cox's gudgeon, is a species of sleeper goby in the family Eleotridae which is native to the upland rivers of south eastern Australia.

<i>Pseudocoris heteroptera</i> Species of fish

Pseudocoris heteroptera, the torpedo wrasse or zebra wrasse, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a wrasse from the family Labridae. It is found in the western Pacific Ocean where it is associated with reefs.

<i>Diapterus auratus</i> Species of fish

Diapterus auratus, the Irish mojarra or Irish pompano, is a species of ray-finned fish from the family Gerreidae, the mojarras. Other common names for this species are the broad shad, silver perch and muttonfish. It is found in the warmer waters of the western Atlantic Ocean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sea trumpeter</span> Species of fish

The sea trumpeter is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is endemic to the southeastern Indian Ocean off the southwestern coats of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sharpbeak terapon</span> Species of fish

The sharpbeak terapon is a species of ray-finned fish, a grunter from the family Terapontidae. It is found in the coastal waters of Asia from southern Japan to the Philippines.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Serrasalmus rhombeus" in FishBase. December 2019 version.
  2. 1 2 3 "The Black Piranha [also known as The RedEye Piranha]". The Piranha Guide. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  3. "How Much Does A Piranha Weigh?". Piranha Guide. 2019-06-26. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  4. 1 2 Leo Nico; Bill Loftus (30 April 2018). "Serrasalmus rhombeus (Linnaeus, 1766)". Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Serrasalmus rhombeus Black Piranha/Rhom". Seriously Fish. Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  6. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Salmo rhombeus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 26 May 2020.
  7. Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "genid=547". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 26 May 2020.