| Family: |
Serrasalmidae (Piranhas and pacus), subfamily: Myleinae |
| Max. size: |
23.77 cm SL (male/unsexed) |
| Environment: |
benthopelagic; freshwater |
| Distribution: |
South America: Brazil. |
| Diagnosis: |
Dorsal soft rays (total): 25-29; Anal soft rays: 33-38. This species is distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: highly concentrated dark chromatophores on the lateral-line scales, resulting in a markedly, dark pigmentation along the lateral line; it differs from arnoldi, lobatus, lucienae, planquettei, rhomboidalis, schomburgkii, zorroi by having 25-29 branched dorsal-fin rays (vs. 18-24); from ternetzi by the presence of a symphyseal pair of conical teeth posterior to the main row of dentary (vs. absence); from asterias, levis, rubripinnis, taphorni, tiete, torquatus, tumukumak by having 89-114 lateral line scales from supracleithrum to end of hypural plate (vs. 56-89) and 98-120 total perforated lateral line scales (vs. 59-97) (Ref. 123127). |
| Biology: |
This species was reported to inhabit slow-flowing habitats such as backwaters and lake, feedng mainly on aquatic and terrestrial plants. Collection localities include clearwater rivers chemically characterized by a low concentration of suspended sediments, dissolved minerals and humic compounds and also from extremely acidic oligotrophic blackwaters. The type locality is also a blackwater system that has its headwaters in the Purus-Madeira interfluvium and like other blackwater rivers, is of low sediment load and low pH. These blackwater environments are reported to be inhospitable to certain species of fish (Ref. 123127). |
| IUCN Red List Status: |
Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. (130435)
|
| Threat to humans: |
harmless |
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