Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Serrasalmidae (Piranhas and pacus) > Serrasalminae
Etymology: Serrasalmus: Latin, serran, serranus, saw and a fish of genus Serranus + Latin, salmo = salmon (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.
Issue
See Jégu & Santos 1988a: 246 for detailed description and validation.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: Amazon River basin.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 20.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 12225)
Occurs in rivers and estuaries. Feeds on the fins of other fish. Oviparous (Ref. 205). Dies at less than 11°C. Its reproduction in captivity has been carried out (Ref. 12225). Although armed with strong, sharp teeth, it is however not dangerous to man. When captured with fishing nets, it must be released because it attacks the other fish caught in the net (Ref. 27188). Of the few piranhas which have escaped from aquaria in the USA, only this species was able to establish a breeding population in Dade County, Florida which was eradicated in 1981 (Ref 1739).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Planquette, P., P. Keith and P.-Y. Le Bail, 1996. Atlas des poissons d'eau douce de Guyane. Tome 1. Collection du Patrimoine Naturel Volume 22, MNHN, Paris & INRA, Paris. 429 p. (Ref. 12225)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
Tools
Special reports
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01349 (0.00626 - 0.02905), b=3.16 (2.99 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this Genus-body shape (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 4.0 ±0.64 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (14 of 100).