Pygocentrus cariba
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Pygocentrus cariba |
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| Humboldt in Humboldt & Valenciennes, 1821 |
Pygocentrus cariba is a predatory freshwater fish from the piranha genus Pygocentrus . It is also called Red Shoulder Spot Piranha, in Spanish Caribe Colorado, Caribe Capaburro and in English Caribe Piranha, Blackshoulder Piranha or Shoulder Spot Piranha.
Systematics
The name Pygoncentrus stigmaterythraeus also appears in more recent taxonomies . It has not yet been proven genetically whether Pygocentrus notatus is a subspecies of P. cariba or an independent species.
description
The physique of Pygocentrus cariba is compact, stocky and laterally compressed. The forehead and back are robust and have a forward-facing curve. Its back is colored dark blue and covered with silvery light, strongly iridescent scales. The bright orange-yellow underside of the belly of the fish is characteristic, as well as a black pigment spot in the shoulder area on the middle gill cover and the starting point of the lateral line. Body shape and color can change in the course of its development. Young animals show spots in some waters. Both the jaw and the rows of teeth are very strong. Pygocentrus cariba grows up to 30 cm, in exceptional cases even up to 40 cm, making it the second largest piranha species after the piraya .
distribution and habitat
Pygocentrus cariba lives pelagic in the tropical river basin of the Orinoco and in rivers of the Llanos region such as. B. the Rio Apuré in Venezuela . The species can also be found in Lago del Guarico. Other waters in which P. cariba occurs are the Cinaruco, Cano Igues Portuguesa, the Orinoco Delta, Guariquito, Uracoa, Caura, Capanaparo, Ventuari, Ocamo, Cojedes and Rio Payara. Water temperatures of 24 to 30 ° C and a pH value of 5.5 to 7.5 are ideal for its distribution.
Way of life
These fish are very fast swimmers, which often go hunting in calm and clear water in groups or larger schools. The way of life of Pygocentrus cariba is strongly determined by the annual rhythm of its habitat and the associated periodic rainy and dry seasons. Towards the end of the dry season in March and April, they are very much feared in the muddy lagoons of the dried-up waters, as they are more aggressive due to the restricted habitat and the scarcity of food . For a long time it was assumed that the species P. cariba would have the most pronounced carnivorous eating habits of the entire Pygocentrus group. The thesis that Pygocentrus species are pure carnivores has now been refuted. The food spectrum changes with increasing age. It was found that swarms of Pygocentrus notatus show their predatory behavior during the rainy season only in daylight from sunrise to dusk with a peak around 11 a.m. Stomach examinations revealed that 80% of their prey was fish. Its prey includes injured or sick fish as well as young birds that have fallen into the water. During the breeding season, larger flocks gather under the nesting sites of water birds, which are conditioned to attack creatures that have fallen into the water. A large swarm of P. cariba automatically associates anything that falls into the water under the trees with food. In these situations a so-called “feeding frenzy” can occur. Locals avoid bathing under piranheira trees, which are often swarmed under. A pronounced territorial behavior is ascribed to Pygocentrus cariba .
Relationship with people
The old name notatus, Latin for “notorious”, indicates the potential danger of P. notatus for humans. No fatal accidents are known to date.
Use
Pygocentrus cariba is used as edible fish, sport fish for anglers and aquarium fish.
Notes and individual references
- ↑ Übers. Bunter Karibe alluding to cannibalist Indians in Venezuela
- ↑ Transl. "Eselshäutiger" in the sense of thick-skinned, also in the meaning of donkey castrator on http://www.piranha-info.com/default.php?lang=en&id=p_cariba
- ↑ Wolfgang Schulte: Piranhas. Interesting facts about ecology, behavior, care and breeding, In: Lehrmeister-Bücherei 3rd, revised edition, Landbuch Hannover 1995, ISBN 3-7842-1114-3 , p. 87
- ↑ http://www.aquaristads.co.uk/5/posts/2-Item-For-Sale/129-Nottingham/554-Cariba-piranha-Black-shoulder-piranha-Shoulder-spot-piranha-Orinoco-piranha -Black-eared-piranha-.html ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ http://www.piranha-info.com/default.php?lang=en&id=page_1
- ↑ Wolfgang Schulte: Piranhas. Interesting facts about ecology, behavior, care and breeding, In: Lehrmeister-Bücherei 3rd, revised edition, Landbuch Hannover 1995, ISBN 3-7842-1114-3 , p. 86
- ↑ http://www.angelfire.com/biz/piranha038/cariba.html
- ↑ Food Habits and Morphological Changes during Ontogeny in three Serrasalmin Fish Species of Venezuelan Fllodplains at http://www.jstor.org/pss/1444905
- ↑ Leo G. Nico: Feeding chronology of juvenile piranhas, Pygocentrus notatus, in the Venezuelan llanos, Environmental Biology of Fishes, Vol. 29, doi: 10.1007 / BF00000568 .
- ↑ Feeding Frenzy see http://www.angelfire.com/biz/piranha038/images/ElFrio_A.jpg
Web links
- Pygocentrus cariba on Fishbase.org (English)
- www.piranha-info.com Cariba Piranha
- www.piranhas-fr.com
- Leo G. Nico: Feeding chronology of juvenile piranhas, Pygocentrus notatus, in the Venezuelan llanos, Environmental Biology of Fishes, Vol. 29, doi: 10.1007 / BF00000568 .
- Phylogeography of the piranha genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus: implications for the diversification of the Neotropical ichthyofauna ( PDF ; 1.2 MB)