Serrasalmidae
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Serrasalmidae
The Serrasalmidae (serrasalmids) are a family of characiform fishes, recently elevated to family status. It includes more than 90 species. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the belly of these fish. Fish classified as Serrasalmidae are also known by these common names: pacu, piranha, and silver dollar. These common names generally designate differing dental characteristics and feeding habits. Description Serrasalmids are medium- to large-sized characiform fishes that reach about long, generally characterized by a deep, laterally compressed body with a series of midventral abdominal spines or scutes, and a long dorsal fin (over 16 rays). Most species also possess an anteriorly directed spine just before the dorsal fin extending from a supraneural bone; exceptions include members of the genera ''Colossoma'', ''Piaractus'', and ''Mylossoma''. Most serrasalmids have about 60 chromosomes, ranging from 54 to 62.''Metynnis'' has ...
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Tometes
''Tometes'' is a genus of fish in the family Serrasalmidae found in fast-flowing rivers in northern South America. Adults of all seven species in this genus are phytophagous, feeding primarily on aquatic plants in the family Podostemaceae. The genus name ''Tometes'' was coined in 1850 by Valenciennes in reference to the incisiform teeth. When the type species of the genus, ''T. trilobatus'', was described in 1850, it was placed in synonym with ''Myleus setiger'', the type species of the genus ''Myleus'', which is why ''Tometes'' and ''Myleus'' were considered to be the same genus for a long time. It was just later that the two genera were revalitated and other specimen could be categorized in the genus ''Tometes''. Taxonomy Even today the taxonomic classification of the Serrasalmidae is not an easy task. Many names are placed in synonymy due to a lack of information and insufficient data bases. It was not long ago when it was discovered that ''Tometes'' and ''Myleus'' are tw ...
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Myloplus
''Myloplus'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae found in tropical and subtropical South America, where they inhabit rivers and streams (both slow and fast-flowing). They are primarily herbivores, but also take some animal matter. Depending on the exact species, they reach up to in standard length. Adult males have a double-lobed anal fin and filamentous extensions on the dorsal fin, and both sexes (but especially males) can be brightly colored when breeding. Species There are currently 15 recognized species in this genus.Ota, R.P., Röpke, C.P., Zuanon, J. & Jégu, M. (2013): Serrasalmidae. ''In'': Queiroz, L.J., Torrente-Vilara, G., Ohara, W.M., Pires, T.H.S., Zuanon, J. & Doria, C.R.C. (Eds.), ''Peixes do rio Madeira.'' Volume II, ''Santo Antonio Energia, São Paulo, 12–47.'' Many of these were formerly included in '' Myleus''. * '' Myloplus arnoldi'' C. G. E. Ahl, 1936 * '' Myloplus asterias'' ( J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844) * '' Myloplus lev ...
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Piranha
A piranha or piraña (, , or ; or , ) is one of a number of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae, or the subfamily Serrasalminae within the tetra family, Characidae in order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Although often described as extremely predatory and mainly feeding on fish, their dietary habits vary extensively, and they will also take plant material, leading to their classification as omnivorous. Etymology The name originates from the indigenous Tupi people and their respective Tupi language. It is formed from two words, meaning fish and meaning tooth; the same word is used by Indians to describe a pair of scissors. Another possible derivation is from , probably literally "biting-fish". In the mid 18th century the Portuguese merged the word into . Finally, the word may also come from the combination of meaning fish and meaning cut (which also meant "bad" or "devil" in Tupi-Guarani). Taxonomy an ...
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Pacu
Pacu () is a common name used to refer to several species of omnivorous South American freshwater serrasalmid fish that are related to the piranha. Pacu and piranha do not have similar teeth, the main difference being jaw alignment; piranha have pointed, razor-sharp teeth in a pronounced underbite, whereas pacu have squarer, straighter teeth and a less severe underbite, or a slight overbite. Pacu, unlike piranha, mainly feed on plant material and not flesh or scales. Additionally, the pacu can reach much larger sizes than piranha, at up to in total length and in weight. Name The common name ''pacu'' is generally applied to fish classified under the below listed genera. Among these, several genera contain species where commonly used English names include the word ''pacu'', as listed. *''Colossoma'' – black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu *''Metynnis'' *''Mylesinus'' (''Myloplus'') *''Mylossoma '' *''Ossubtus'' – parrot pacu, eaglebeak pacu *''Piaractus'' – red-bellie ...
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Megapiranha
''Megapiranha'' is an extinct serrasalmid characin fish from the Late Miocene (8–10 million years ago) Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina, described in 2009. The type species is ''M. paranensis''.''Megapiranha''
at Fossilworks.org
It is thought to have been about in length and in weight. The consists only of e and a zigzag tooth row; the rest of its body is unknown.

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Catoprion
''Catoprion'' is a genus of serrasalmids from tropical South America, including the basins of the Amazon, Essequibo, Orinoco and Paraguay rivers. It was believed to be a monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unispe ... genus until the 2020 description of '' C. absconditus''. Species There are 2 described species: * '' Catoprion mento'' * '' Catoprion absconditus'' References {{Taxonbar, from=Q19757948 Serrasalmidae Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by Johannes Peter Müller Taxa named by Franz Hermann Troschel ...
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Mylossoma
''Mylossoma'' is a genus of serrasalmids from tropical and subtropical South America, including the basins of the Amazon, Orinoco, Lake Maracaibo and Paraguay- Paraná. These common fish are found both in main river sections and floodplains. They support important fisheries and based on a review by IBAMA, they are the seventh most caught fish by weight in the Brazilian Amazon. They primarily feed on plant material such as seeds and fruits (to a lesser extent invertebrates), and in their ecology they generally resemble the larger tambaqui (''Colossoma macropomum''). ''Mylossoma'' reach up to in length and in weight. Species There are currently 5 recognized species in this genus:Mateussi, N.T.B., Pavanelli, C.S. & Oliveira, C. (2016): Molecular identification of cryptic diversity in species of cis-Andean ''Mylossoma'' (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae). ''Mitochondrial DNA Part A: DNA Mapping, Sequencing, and Analysis, 28 (5): 778-780.''Mateussi, Nadayca T. B. ; Claudio Oliveira ...
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Characiform
Characiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising the characins and their allies. Grouped in 18 recognized families, more than 2000 different species are described, including the well-known piranha and tetras.; Buckup P.A.: "Relationships of the Characidiinae and phylogeny of characiform fishes (Teleostei: Ostariophysi)", ''Phylogeny and Classification of Neotropical Fishes'', L.R. Malabarba, R.E. Reis, R.P. Vari, Z.M. Lucena, eds. (Porto Alegre: Edipucr) 1998:123-144. Taxonomy The Characiformes form part of a series called the Otophysi within the superorder Ostariophysi. The Otophysi contain three other orders, Cypriniformes, Siluriformes, and Gymnotiformes. The Characiformes form a group known as the Characiphysi with the Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes. The order Characiformes is the sister group to the orders Siluriformes and Gymnotiformes, though this has been debated in light of recent molecular evidence. Originally, the characins were all grouped within a single ...
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Ossubtus
''Ossubtus'' is a genus of fish in the family Serrasalmidae. It contains a single species, ''Ossubtus xinguense'', the parrot pacu or eaglebeak pacu, The species is endemic to rapids in the Xingu River basin in the Brazilian Amazon.Andrade, M.C., Sousa, L.M., Ota, R.P., Jégu, M. & Giarrizzo, T. (2016)Redescription and Geographical Distribution of the Endangered Fish ''Ossubtus xinguense'' Jégu 1992 (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae) with Comments on Conservation of the Rheophilic Fauna of the Xingu River.''PLoS ONE, 11 (9): e0161398.'' This endangered species is primarily a herbivore. Description The body of ''Ossubtus xinguense'' is ovoid in shape. The profile of the snout is blunt. In young fish, the mouth is terminal (pointing forward); however, as the fish grows, the mouth turns downward and becomes strictly ventral in individuals longer than . This gives the mouth a beak-like appearance. It reaches up to in total length and about in weight. Range and habitat ''Ossubtus xingu ...
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Pygopristis
''Pygopristis denticulata'', or the Lobetoothed Piranha is a species of piranha. These fish are part of the group Ostariophysi, a large group of freshwater fish that includes minnows and catfishes. It is a rare South American fish found in the Orinoco River basin, north and eastern Guiana Shield rivers, and tributaries of the lower Amazon River. Piranhas typically live in freshwater, but other specimens can be found elsewhere. Specimens of this species is frequently found in acidic clear or black waters. Piranhas are primarily known for being savage, flesh-eating fish, but they actually have broader diets. They usually feed on aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits.Machado-Allison, A. and W. Fink (1996). ''Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela. Diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos''. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCV. (Colección Monografías), Caracas, , 149p. ''P. denticulata'' has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp A cusp is the most pointed end of a curve ...
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Myleus
''Myleus'' is a genus of serrasalmids from South America, where found in the Amazon, Orinoco and São Francisco basins, as well as river basin of the Guiana Shield.Ota, R.P., Röpke, C.P., Zuanon, J. & Jégu, M. (2013): Serrasalmidae. ''In'': Queiroz, L.J., Torrente-Vilara, G., Ohara, W.M., Pires, T.H.S., Zuanon, J. & Doria, C.R.C. (Eds.), ''Peixes do rio Madeira.'' Volume II, ''Santo Antonio Energia, São Paulo, 12–47.'' They are found in rivers with moderately or fast-flowing water, including rapids. They are primarily herbivores, but also take some animal matter. Depending on the exact species, they reach up to in standard length, and the adult males have a double-lobed anal fin and filamentous extensions on the dorsal fin. Their strong teeth means that larger individuals can inflict severe bites on humans. Species There are currently 5 recognized species of ''Myleus''. Several others have been moved to the genus ''Myloplus''. * '' Myleus altipinnis'' (Valenciennes ...
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Utiaritichthys
''Utiaritichthys'' is a genus of serrasalmid fish found in the Amazon and Orinoco basins in tropical South America. The adults are typically found in rapidly flowing water where they feed on aquatic plants in the family Podostemaceae and filamentous algae.Pereira, T.N.A. & Castro, R.M.C. (2014)A new species of Utiaritichthys Miranda Ribeiro (Characiformes: Serrasalmidae) from the Serra dos Parecis, Tapajós drainage.''Neotropical Ichthyology, 12 (2): 397-402''. They reach up to in standard length. The monophyly and taxonomic position of the genus is not fully resolved. The only clear difference from ''Myloplus ''Myloplus'' is a genus of freshwater fish in the family Serrasalmidae found in tropical and subtropical South America, where they inhabit rivers and streams (both slow and fast-flowing). They are primarily herbivores, but also take some animal ...'' is the comparatively longer body of ''Utiaritichthys''. Species There are currently 3 recognized species in this ge ...
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