Black piranha
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Black piranha ( Serrasalmus rhombeus ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Serrasalmus rhombeus | ||||||||||||
| ( Linnaeus ), 1766 |
The black piranha ( Serrasalmus rhombeus ) is a predatory freshwater fish from the piranha genus Serrasalmus . In English the species is called Redeye Piranha, White Piranha, Black Piranha, after its subspecies Peruvian Black Piranha, Brazilian Black Piranha, Spotted Piranha, in Spanish Caribe Ojo Rojo or Caribe Amarillo and in Portuguese Piranha Preta.
Systematics
The black piranha belongs to the genus Serrasalmus . Numerous subspecies and local varieties such as the Peruvian Black Piranha, Brazilian Black Piranha, Xingú, Highbach Perú and Jet Black Rhombeus are known in its wide range. In addition, there are numerous other local species in Bolivia, the Rio Araguaia , Rio Iriri, Colombia , the Guaríco region in Venezuela, Guayana, the Rio Itaya, Rio Oroso and Rio Nanay in Peru. Because of its great diversity, some scientists consider Serrasalmus rhombeus to be a species complex. Nakayama and others are of the opinion that the different biotopes and water types such as the Rio Solimões as a white water river and the Rio Negro as an acidic black water river lead to chromosome changes . This development would have progressed further after isolation of some bodies of water such as Lake Catalão as a hybrid of both types of water.
features
The black piranha grows up to 45 cm. However, its annual growth rate is very low, so that only very old individuals have this maximum size. The largest black piranha to date, weighing 3 kilograms, was caught in the Rio Camatú in Amazonia. Its coloration varies depending on the area of distribution, which has led to different names and synonyms, so certain color varieties are also known as white piranha, Serrasalmus niger is a common synonym for the black varieties. This fish also changes color in the course of its development. Young animals are very light, shiny silver with small dark spots. They do not yet have the characteristic red-colored eyes (English designation: Redeye piranha ). Later, the body shape also changes, the back becomes higher. While the red eye color is common to all subspecies, the body coloration can vary from white to jet black.
distribution and habitat
The black piranha lives benthopelagic in the Orinoco and Amazon basins , in waters of the Guiana Ridge and in some north-east Brazilian coastal rivers. It occurs in Venezuela , Colombia , French Guiana , Suriname , Guiana, Peru , Bolivia, and Brazil . This species of piranha is found both on rapids and in the deeper water areas of the main river, where it is caught by natives with fish bait. Serrasalmus rhombeus prefers tropical warm waters with water temperatures of 24 to 30 ° C and a pH value of 5.5 to 7.5. The black piranha occurs in different types of water, for example in shallow, slow-flowing rivers, in the deeper main stream and stagnant water.
Way of life
Serrasalmus rhombeus feeds mainly carnivorous on small fish, crabs, insects up to small mammals and reptiles that fall into the water. Its opportunistic way of life enables this species of predatory fish to adapt to a wide variety of habitats. The diurnal fish hunt in shoals when they are young, in smaller groups without a hierarchy and only later develop into solitary individual animals that stay in cover and lurk for prey. In the meantime, however, increased aggressive behavior and feeding frenzy in larger groups of adult specimens in Lake Brokopondo in Surinam have also been observed in the event of food shortages. However, it has not yet been clarified whether this behavior was preceded by swarming or whether the animals only come together at the prey when there is food available. Usually, however, the black piranha is classified as less jumpy and aggressive than other piranha species. The size of his teeth alone can cause major injuries. The black piranha can bite with 30 times the force (320 N) of its weight . The prerequisites for reproduction depend on the environmental conditions of the respective habitat and water type. While it begins on the Rio Xingu at high water, temperatures around 26 ° C and a very narrow pH value of 6.7 and 6.9, it occurs on the Rio Araguia at water temperatures of 22–28 ° C, pH values of 5, 8 to 7.5 and a water hardness of 4–20 dH. In the Brazilian Rio Negro and in the Orinoco in Venezuela, the spawning season begins at pH values of 4.5 to 7 and water temperatures of 24 to 28 ° C.
Relationship with people
Despite its size, the species is generally not dangerous to humans. If handled improperly, however, it can inflict deep and poorly healing wounds with its sharp teeth. Mol from the CELOS Institute in Suriname investigated accidents between humans and black piranhas that occurred on the Wayombo River, a tributary of the Corantijn . His study looked at 30 accidents that occurred in remote settlements by the river over the course of 30 years. Most of them were children whose feet were bitten. Other people were bitten in the legs, arms and torso and in severe cases even lost limbs such as toes or fingers. In two incidents, the victims were even attacked by several fish at the same time. None of these accidents resulted in the death of the victim. All of these accidents were related to increased occurrence of fish during the dry season, restless movement in the water and the discharge of leftover food, fish waste and blood into the river.
use
The black piranha is locally an edible fish of little economic importance and is a sport fish for anglers. It is also often kept in aquariums.
Black piranha as a neozoon
Along with Serrasalmus natteri , Serrasalmus rhombeus is the only species of piranha that was consciously or unintentionally released in the United States and may even survive in wild waters in warmer states such as California , Texas and Florida . They were found in a pond at an abandoned amusement park in Dade County, where the animals could breed and survive the winter.
Web links
- Black Piranha on Fishbase.org (English)
- piranha-info.com (English)
- piranhas-fr.com (French)
- C. Nakayama, M. Jegu, JIR Porto and E. Feldberg: Karyological Evidence for a Cryptic Species of Piranha within Serrasalmus rhombeus (Characidae, Serrasalminae) in the Amazon , Copeia, 2001 (3), pp. 866–869 (PDF- File; 627 kB)
Notes and individual references
- ^ Translated from Roach Carib
- ↑ Trans. Yellow carib due to its partly yellowish-white body color
- ↑ Trans. Black Piranha
- ↑ a b c d e piranha-info.com Rhombeus Piranha
- ↑ from the Brazilian Rio Xingu
- ↑ OPEFE Archives Geographical Forms S. rhombeus Complex
- ↑ Aylton Saturnino Teixeira, Celeste Mutuko Nakayama, Jorge Ivan Rebelo Porto and Eliana Feldberg: Esterase-D and chromosome patterns in Central Amazon piranha ( Serrasalmus rhombeus Linnaeus, 1766) from Lake Catalão, Genetics and Molecular Biology, 29, 3, 498-502 (2006), Brazilian Society of Genetics on [1] (PDF file; 331 kB)
- ↑ “ According to Nakayama et al (unpublished) fishes from Catalão Lake (a mixed water ecotone) which is formed by water from the Solimões River (white waters) and the Negro River (acid and dark waters), this environment caused some changes in chromomsomes in this species. This melting together (or fusion) of the centromere (= the centromere consists of fibers and holds together two to create a chromosome) by the eggs released by these species may have been caused by interbreeding. In previous discussions with a field researcher (1995). I discussed this topic of Serrasalmus species (in particular S. spilopleura) interbreeding and new populations forming after being cutoff from main rivers. At that time he thought it was unlikely. This new DNA information is changing this perception . " in OPEFE Archives Frank Magallanes and Edouard Paiva: How to darken Serrasalmus rhombeus in the home aquarium
- ↑ Archived copy ( memento of the original from March 10, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ a b c OPEFE Archives, Frank Magallanes: Caribe Amarillo (Caribe ojo rojo)
- ↑ a b c Fishbase: Redeye piranha Serrasalmus rhombeus (Linnaeus, 1766)
- ↑ Justin R. Grubich, Steve Huskey, Stephanie Crofts, Guillermo Orti and Jorge Porto: Mega-Bites: Extreme jaw forces of living and extinct piranhas (Serrasalmidae) . In: Scientific Reports . tape 2 , no. 1009 , November 29, 2012, doi : 10.1038 / srep01009 .
- ^ Center for Agricultural Research in Suriname
- ↑ “ The recovery of a toe phalange (Wayombo River) and a piece of flesh including a nail (Suriname River) from the stomach of two piranhas identified the fish responsible for the attacks as Serrasalmus rhombeus. Attacks on humans by S. rhombeus were associated with high age 0+ piranha densities in the dry season, high human prey densities, commotion in the water by humans, and spillage of food, fish offal or blood in the water ”in JH Mol: Attacks on humans by the piranha Serrasalmus rhombeus in Suriname, Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment 2006 Vol. 41 No. 3 pp. 189-195
- ↑ Jan H. Mol: Attacks on humans by the piranha Serrasalmus rhombeus in Suriname, Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 2006 on [2]
- ↑ Jeffrey Hill: Exotic Fishes in Florida ( Online, PDF 85.3kB ( Memento of the original from October 19, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link has been inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and remove then this note. , accessed on December 6, 2013.)
