Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858

Red piranha

Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL

Classification	Actinopterygii \| Characiformes \| Characidae \| Serrasalminae
Synonyms	Rooseveltiella nattereri, Pygocentrus altus, Serrasalmo ternetzi, ... more
Common names	Red pirai, Piranha, Palometa de rio, ... more

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Image of Pygocentrus nattereri (Red piranha)

Picture by Østergaard, T.

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Main reference

Fink, W.L. 1993. (Ref. 27142)
Other references | Biblio | Coordinator | Collaborators

Size / Weight / Age

Max length : 50.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 81048); max. published weight: 3,850 g (Ref. 40637)

Environment

Pelagic; freshwater; pH range: 5.5 - 7.5; dH range: ? - 20

Climate / Range

Subtropical; 23°C - 27°C (Ref. 13371); 9°N - 34°S

South America: Amazon River basin, Paraguay-Paraná River basin, northeastern Brazilian coastal rivers and Essequibo River basin (Ref. 39031). Reported from the Uruguay River, Brazil (Ref. 79585).
Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Introductions

Short description

Dorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 16 - 18; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 27 - 30

Common in creeks and interconnected ponds in Matto Grosso, Brazil, where it influences distribution and feeding of other fish (Ref. 9080) and in areas of high primary production in Rio Machado and Rio Negro (Ref.9096). Adults feed mainly at dusk and dawn. Feeds on insects, worms and fish (Ref. 7020). Medium-sized to large individuals (15-24 cm length) forage mainly at dawn, late afternoon and night up to about 2200H, whereas smaller fish (8-11 cm) are active mainly during the day (Ref. 9080). Teeth replacement on alternating sides of jaw allows continuous feeding. Its powerful dentition can inflict serious bites. Has a highly evolved auditory capacity and a 'lurking', then 'dashing' behavior during daytime. Shows hierarchies within small schools (Ref. 9077). Available information on body composition of 'piranha caju' flesh is 8.2% fat, 15.0% protein and 4.4% ash (Ref. 9251).


IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 57073)	Threat to humans
Not Evaluated	Traumatogenic (Ref. 4537)

Human uses
Fisheries: minor commercial; aquarium: commercial


More information
Countries FAO areas Ecosystems Occurrences Introductions Ecology Diet Food items Food consumption Ration	Common names Synonyms Metabolism Predators Ecotoxicology Reproduction Maturity Spawning Eggs Egg development	Age/Size Growth Length-weight Length-length Length-frequencies Morphometrics Morphology Larvae Larval dynamics Recruitment	Other references Biblio Aquaculture Aquaculture profile Strains Genetics Allele frequencies Heritability Diseases Processing	Collaborators Pictures Stamps Sounds Ciguatera Speed Swim. type Gill area Otoliths Brains Vision

Tools
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Special reports
Check for Aquarium maintenance \| Check for Species Fact Sheets \| Check for Aquaculture Fact Sheets

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Summary page \| Point data \| Common names \| Photos

Internet sources

Estimation of some characteristics with mathematical models

Resilience (Ref. 69278)

Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (K=0.89; tm=1; Fec=4,000-5,000)


Vulnerability (Ref. 59153)	Price category (Ref. 80766)
Low to moderate vulnerability (27 of 100)	Not marketed/unknown

Entered by Luna, Susan M.

Modified by Padilla, Jonas

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Page last modified by : elaxamana, 15 July 2009

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