David Schleser Rebuttal of Plano, Texas Piranha Identification
OPEN LETTER TO TEXAS CITIZENS AND HOBBYISTS
December 21, 2006
As a former curator of the Dallas Aquarium at Fair Park, an
author of a book about piranha biology and captive care and a leader of tropical
fish study trips to the Peruvian Amazon I can say without equivocation that the
so-called red-bellied piranhas confiscated in the Plano pet store are in truth
the similar appearing young red-bellied pacus, a species that is fully legal to
sell and own. In nature the mainly vegetarian and inoffensive red-bellied
pacus are thought to gain protection from predators by mimicking piranhas. While
this is not the first time that Texas game wardens unfamiliar with these fish
have misidentified them as piranhas, it astounds me that a pet store owner who
has undoubtedly seen thousands of young pacus would be so ignorant - regardless
of what the invoice might say! By the way, game warden misidentification of
large pacus caught by fisherman in area lakes after they were released by
irresponsible aquarium hobbyists when they had outgrown their fish tanks have
been the source of many unnecessary piranha scares in the media
nationwide.
While red-bellied pacus and piranhas are similar in appearance there are many
differences in body and fin shape between the two (2). Most significant is their a
differently shaped mouths. That of the piranha being larger and with a heavier
lower jaw, prognathic chin and very differently shaped teeth. Please note that
both pacus and piranhas have teeth, but those of the piranhas are triangular and
interlocking
*Please feel free to contact me
with any questions.
Sincerely,
David M. Schleser
* Email can be sent to David M. Schleser c/o opefe@charter.net.
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UPDATED: 05/08/2007