THE LIST OF THREE (3) SPECIES OF TRUE PIRANHA Pygocentrus

INTRODUCTION

I have taken much effort to ensure the complete list of known piranha, caribe, palometa, caribito nomenclature placement is listed. Scientific names were placed on a number of singular species by various historical authors and that is the primary reason piranha classification is so confusing to everyone concerned. What I have attempted to do here is combine those names with the actual species described. This is a monumental task, as there tends to be a conflict between scientists using old descriptions and species names vs. new collections and descriptions. The old collections and descriptions were based on a limited field and range. Often the collector did not write down the specific collection point. Also these old collections and descriptions did not take into account the growth pattern of young fish vs. older fish or those in breeding condition. For that reason, it is common to find several scientific names for the same species. The generic ranking was also a problem. For more in depth information, the reader can access genus Pygocentrus for more information on this problem. Science, when it comes to piranhas and their associated forms has been a mess for a number of years, one can even say for over a century. I had to wade through the long list of historical species names and stabilize them here at OPEFE. It is as accurate, based on the scientific record, as possible. The reader can safely assume that I have given these web pages the best overall review of what we now know about the genera as a whole and specifically the species that are currently recognized.

NUMBER OF SPECIES

Piranhas probably comprise more than 60 species and only a few recent ones have been added to the list. There are probably more out there, but few *Holotype specimens are in existence from the original named descriptions. For example; S. altuvei (Ramirez, 1965), and the following species most recently discovered in 2001; S. hastatus, and S. compressus which were thought to be S. altuvei in earlier collections and descriptions. This mistake in identification allowed a new species to be discovered once the error was noted. Another example is S. gibbus, the original holotype was lost during World War II and all that remains are 5 lines of descriptive material by Castelnau, 1855.

Please take your time in reading the information here. It is a large accumulation of material and I am far from done with it.

* HOLOTYPE: A single specimen designated as the name-bearing type of a species or subspecies when it was established, or the single specimen on which such a taxon was based when no type was specified.

SHOAL? OR GROUP?

Piranhas do not shoal in the literal sense. They form groups of approximately identical size fish. In the spirit of that knowledge, I have placed four (4) groups of individual piranha and pirambeba species, classified in a clade of four (4) scientific generic names, which includes the three (3) true piranhas and caribe in genus Pygocentrus, approximately twenty-four (24) or more species of pirambeba and caribito in genus Serrasalmus. Approximately five (5) or more species of caribito and palometa in genus Pristobrycon and one (1) species of pirambeba in Pygopristis with two (2) associated forms arranged in two (2) genera; Catoprion and Metynnis.

CLASSIFICATION- genus Pygocentrus; TRUE PIRANHAS and CARIBE

• The common name piranha and caribe are names that were determined by G. S. Myers (see references below) to apply only to the true piranha of Brazil and surrounding areas and caribe which applies to the true caribe in Venezuela. Native South American’s are the folks responsible for determining what a common name is for their fish. You will occasionally read my use of piranha in describing all the species. Please be aware that the common name piranha is used here as a loose application only when addressing majority of these species.

• These fish herein are accepted by their native common name of PIRANHA (Brazil and other localities) or CARIBE (Venezuela). This native common name has validity and placement by historical authors to differentiate from the loose application of the name from associated forms known as pirambeba (MYERS, 1972 et al and State of Oregon vs. Magallanes, Case No. 93-CR-0124VI 1993).

• This species primary diet is whole fish, fins, seeds, and microorganisms (juveniles). These species of piranhas are considered potentially dangerous to humans because they swarm in schools to attack sick and dying animals. The piranha as a general public perception, has always been maligned as a man-eater that would attack without provocation. Indeed the focus of OPEFE is to educate the public on what the species actually is, more than what it is not. And that is a clearly misunderstood fish by the public-at-large.

REFERENCES

1. Myers, George S., 1972, The Piranha Book (M-539) TFH Publications, NJ.

2. Cuvier, G. and A. Valenciennes   1850 (Jan.) Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome vingt-deuxième. Suite du livre vingt-deuxième. Suite de la famille des Salmonoïdes. Table générale de l'Histoire Naturelle des Poissons (pp. 1-91). Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 22: i-xx + 1 p. + 1-532 + 1-91, Pls. 634-650. [Valenciennes authored volume. Published as 1849. i-xvi + 1-395, index 1-81 (+ 1) in Strasbourg edition.]

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UPDATED: 06/22/2007