The wimple piranha, ''Catoprion mento'', is a specialized, South American
species of
piranha that
feeds on fish scales. There is debates over whether or not this species is considered a true piranha. If it was considered a true piranha, then it would be the smallest species in the world
Taxonomy
The wimple piranha is not traditionally considered to be a true piranha; the shape of its teeth and the presence of two rows of teeth (instead of one) on the upper jaw makes it different from the other piranha genera. However, through
molecular analysis
Genetic testing, also known as DNA testing, is used to identify changes in DNA sequence or chromosome structure. Genetic testing can also include measuring the results of genetic changes, such as RNA analysis as an output of gene expression, or ...
, this species should be included in the true piranha group if the piranha group is to be
monophyletic
In cladistics for a group of organisms, monophyly is the condition of being a clade—that is, a group of taxa composed only of a common ancestor (or more precisely an ancestral population) and all of its lineal descendants. Monophyletic gro ...
(see
piranha for further discussion).
Distribution and habitat
The wimple piranha is found in the
Amazon,
Orinoco
The Orinoco () is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes known as the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3 percent of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia. It is the fourth largest river in the wor ...
,
Essequibo Essequibo is the largest traditional region of Guyana but not an administrative region of Guyana today. It may also refer to:
* Essequibo River, the largest river in Guyana
* Essequibo (colony), a former Dutch colony in what is now Guyana;
* Esseq ...
, and upper
Paraguay River basins in
South America.
This species inhabits clear freshwater streams and lakes with abundant submerged vegetation.
Description
The wimple piranha reaches about 15 cm (6.5 in) in
standard length
Fish measurement is the measuring of individual fish and various parts of their anatomies. These data are used in many areas of ichthyology, including taxonomy and fisheries biology.
Overall length
* Standard length (SL) is the length of a fish m ...
.
[ The curve of its large, ]banana
A banana is an elongated, edible fruit – botanically a berry – produced by several kinds of large herbaceous flowering plants in the genus ''Musa''. In some countries, bananas used for cooking may be called "plantains", distinguis ...
-shaped lower jaw creates a distinctive protuberance; this gave this fish the specific name ''mento'', which means 'chin'.
Ecology
This fish possesses powerful dentition and can inflict serious bites.[
The dietary breadth of the wimple piranha is one of the narrowest reported for fishes; scales form an important proportion of the diet throughout most of its life, and adults feed almost entirely on them (see lepidophagy). In laboratory conditions, wimple piranhas are known to feed on scales from fish up to three times their own length, and are even known to feed on scales of conspecifics. Like most fish, when the wimple piranha feeds on small fish or scales floating in the water, it uses suction feeding. However, to feed on scales attached to fish, it uses ram feeding, where the predator will charge at the fish; the force of this collision actually knocks scales free. The teeth are used to scrape scales from the body. Scales are ingested both during the strike and after, when loose scales are also eaten. These attacks remove only scales without damaging the underlying musculature.]
References
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2298006
Serrasalmidae
Monotypic fish genera
Piranhas
Freshwater fish of South America
Freshwater fish of Brazil
Freshwater fish of Colombia
Fish described in 1819
Taxa named by Georges Cuvier