Serrasalmus nigricans

Agassiz (in Spix and Agassiz, 1829)

No photo, no examples known.

INTRODUCTION

FROM FRANK MAGALLANES

Messr. Jégu considers this species (Jégu in Reis et al. 2003) valid as Serrasalmus nigricans. There are no types known. There are some serious problems with this species based on Fink 1993. 

In my opinion, hobbyist/collectors are cautioned against using this scientific name on their fish if it comes from the locality mentioned below. 

Photos seen in some published hobbyist books purported to be S. nigricans are those of Pygocentrus nattereri.

See below for Fink comments:

 

Representative photo of S. spilopleura as Adult.

Example of what S. nigicans might look like according ot the description.

 

CITATION REVIEW:  Dr. William L. Fink, UMMZ

Pygocentrus nigricans, from "Equatorial Brazil," described by Agassiz (in Spix and Agassiz, 1829) as a Serrasalmo. This is indeed a Serrasalmus, the Amazonian form equivalent to Serrasalmus spilopleura in the south of Brazil, as the original plate (XXX) clearly shows. The name nigricans was used by Müller and Troschel (1845) in a new combination (their new genus Pygocentrus). The specimen they considered to be nigricans is actually P. nattereri and is held in the Berlin Museum (ZMB 3630). Müller and Troschel gave no evidence that the specimen they examined was the type of Agassiz's nigricans, and the specimen has dorsal-and anal-fin counts slightly different from those reported by Agassiz. In addition to the evidence of its identity from the well-done figure, as noted above, the description of live color in nigricans accurately describes the breeding adult of the Amazonian Serrasalmus, mitigating against placement of this species in Pygocentrus.

 

DISTRIBUTION

Amazon river basin, Brazil

REFERENCES 

  1. Fink, W. L.   1993 (18 Aug.), Revision of the piranha genus Pygocentrus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Copeia 1993 (no. 3): 665-687.

  2. Spix, J. B. von and L. Agassiz   1829-31 Selecta genera et species piscium quos in itinere per Brasiliam annos MDCCCXVII-MDCCCXX jussu et auspiciis Maximiliani Josephi I.... colleget et pingendso curavit Dr J. B. de Spix.... Monachii. Selecta Piscium Brasiliam: Part 1: i-xvi + i-ii + 1-82, Pls. 1-48;, Part 2: 83-138, Pls. 49-101. [Part 1 published June 1829, part 2 Jan. 1831; see Kottelat 1988 [ref. 13380], Whitehead & Myers 1971, Pethiygoda & Kottelat 1998.

  3. Reis, R. E., S. O. Kullander and C. J. Ferraris, Jr.   2003  Check list of the freshwater fishes of South and Central America. Check list Freshw. Fishes South & Cent. Amer. 2003: i-xi + 1-72.

USE YOUR BACKSPACE TO RETURN OR CLICK ABOVE.

The OPEFE web site and its contents; is disclaimed for purposes of Zoological Nomenclature in accordance with the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Fourth Edition, Article 8.3 and 8.4. No new names or nomenclature changes are available from statements at this web site.

CopyrightŠ 1994-2008 Oregon Piranha Exotic Fish Exhibit (The OPEFE fish exhibit is permanently CLOSED as of 2000) Sutherlin, Oregon. Information posted on this web site is archival data on fish scientific classifications and other information. DISCLAIMER: The copyrighted material may not be used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship or research. Cited information requires credit and this link www.opefe.com. All rights reserved. All images shown  (unless otherwise noted) is property of OPEFE. 

UPDATED: 07/15/2007