Serrasalmus elongatus
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Serrasalmus elongatus |
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| Kner , 1858 |
Serrasalmus elongatus ( Syn . : Serrasalmus pingke ) is a small- growing species of saw tetra from tropical South America . It resembles S. humeralis and is also called Elongated Piranha ("Long Piranha") or Pike Piranha ("Pike Piranha") in English because of its body shape. Local names are Caribe Pinche or Piranha Mucura.
description
Serrasalmus elongatus is an elongated, laterally flattened saw tetra that can reach a maximum total length of 30 centimeters TL . The head shape is pointed in juvenile and adult animals. The body color of young animals is uniformly greenish silvery. Some examples show a caudal stain, otherwise no drawing is available. Their fins are colorless and transparent. The coloring of adults is lead-gray, their chest and stomach areas are orange to red. There is a spot the size of the eyes on the shoulder region. The dorsal and anal fin are greyish, the pectoral and pectoral fins are slightly reddish or orange. The iris is red. The dorsal fin is supported by two undivided rays, usually divided by 13 (12 to 24) . A preanal sting ray is present.
Serrasalmus elongatus usually has 38 (37 to 38) vertebrae. The scales are small and numerous, the number along the sideline is usually 94 (89 to 98). Before the beginning of the pelvic fins there are 23 (20 to 26), after the beginning of the pelvic fins 10 (10 to 11) abdominal teeth ( serrae ). The 17 (15 to 19) gill spines are short and broad at the base. The ectopterygoid is clearly, also in young animals, strong and numerous toothed (8 to 9).
The apparent polymorphism in young animals in relation to the spot on the tail stalk is interesting . Since both forms occur sympatric , it is difficult to infer environmental influences. It could be an early gender dimorphism, but this has not yet been clarified. Serrasalmus elongatus differs from the other Serrasalmus species by its elongated body shape. With the exception of very young Serrasalmus irritans , no Serrasalmus species shares this body shape, but Serrasalmus irritans differs through its spotted color pattern.
distribution
Serrasalmus elongatus occurs in South America in the catchment area of the Amazon and Orinoco . In the lower Rio Machado in Minas Gerais , Brazil , it is one of the most common piranhas .
Way of life
Serrasalmus elongatus feeds mainly on pieces of fins and scales from other fish. Occasionally, pieces of meat are bitten out of other fish. According to Goulding, the scales most frequently bitten out come from goiter tetra . The fin pieces were most often bitten from the caudal fins.
literature
- Antonio Machado-Allison, William Fink: Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela, Diagnosis, Claves, Aspectos Ecologicos Y Evolutivos. 1996, Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCH
Notes and individual references
- ↑ a b c Serrasalmus elongatus on Fishbase.org (English)
- ^ A b c Antonio Machado-Allison, William Fink: Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela, Diagnosis, Claves, Aspectos Ecologicos Y Evolutivos. 1996, Universidad Central de Venezuela, ISBN 9800009671 , pp. 67-68.
- ^ A b Michael Goulding: The Fishes and the Forest: Explorations in Amazonian Natural History. 1981, University of California Press, ISBN 978-0520041318 , pp. 162-165.
Web links
- Species portrait on Piranha-Info.com