Serrasalmidae

Pirambeba Dorada or Piranha Negra

also simply called Spilo or Ruby Red

 Serrasalmus spilopleura

KNER 1858

FROM FRANK MAGALLANES

This species was originally described from Rio Guapore, Bobota, Mato Grosso, Brazil (Kner 1858:166 [6] [Sitzungsber. Akad. Wiss. Wien v. 32 (no. 22)). However, Jegu 2001 places populations of S. spilopleura as widespread according to the distribution below. Because an error in misidentification was made between S. spilopleura and S. eigenmanni  in Jegu and colleague in 2001, spilopleura is found only in Bolivia according to Hubert et al. 2007, 2010. On the above left corner is the only photo I have of a correctly identified specimen of S. spilopleura in Bolivia.

The maps shown below are approximate range of certain species. It does not show the complete range. No other species has given me so much reason to pause and consider as this one and S. maculatus. The problem centers on the description and rehabilitation of the species. 

This rehabilitation places the true S. spilopleura from the Guaporé Basin of Western Brazil (Bolivian side rio Itenez) only (see). The Central Amazon fishes are S. maculatus. To further add to this confusion, the fish from the Pantanal region have not been  rehabilitated but is being recognized as S. maculatus as well. So hobbyists are cautioned about using either name on the species from that region until more is learned.

In truth, S. maculatus is a difficult fish to differentiate from S. spilopleura. For this reason, in order to have a  positive identification, one must know the exact collection point. It is quite possible that S. maculatus may very well be returned to a synonym of S. spilopleura. At least in my estimate of the problem. Time will tell  if the authorities agree.

Serrasalmus spilopleura Kner [R.] 1858:166 [6] [Sitzungsberichte der Kaiserlichen Akademie der Wissenschaften. Mathematisch-Naturwissenschaftliche Classe v. 32 (no. 22); Rio Guaporé, Bobota, Mato Grosso, Brazil. Lectotype: NMW 57085. Paralectotypes: NMW 16344 (1, dry), 79457-59 (1, 1, 1, all dry). Appeared in more detail in Kner 1860:43 [p. 35 of separate], Pl. 5 (fig. 11). Lectotype designated by Jégu & Santos 2001:125. •Valid as Serrasalmus spilopleura Kner 1858 -- (Ortega & Vari 1986:9, Cestari & Galetti 1992, Gómez & Chebez 1996:51, Britski et al. 1999:66, Butí & Cancino 1999:71, Nakayama et al. 2000:149, Jégu & Santos 2001:119, Lasso et al. 2001:96, Jégu in Reis et al. 2003:192, López et al. 2003:32, Casciotta et al. 2003:116, Menni 2004:78). Current status: Valid as Serrasalmus spilopleura Kner 1858.

MAXIMUM SIZE - According to Fishbase.org (expect errors).

20.0 cm SL.

DISTRIBUTION

Guaporé River basin, Paraná River basin: Argentina and Brazil.

REFERENCES 

• Jégu, M. and G. M. dos Santos   2001 Mise au point à propos de Serrasalmus spilopleura Kner, 1858 et réhabilitation de S. maculatus Kner, 1858 (Characidae: Serrasalminae). Cybium v. 25 (no. 2): 119-143. (1) Antenne IRD, Laboratoire d'Ichtyologie générale et appliquée, M.N.H.N., 43 rue Cuvier, 75231 Paris Cedex 05 France. (2) Laboratorio de Ictiologia, I.N.P.A., C.P.B.A., Cx P. 478, 69083-970 Manaus, A.M. Brézil.

• Hubert N. & Renno J. F.  2010 Description of a new Serrasalmus species, Serrasalmus odyssei n. sp. [pp. 52-59]. In: Evolution of the neotropical ichthyofauna -- molecular and evolutionary perspectives about the origin of the fish communities in the Amazon. VDM Publishing House, Verlag Dr. Muller, Saarbucken, Germany. Evolution of the Neotropical Ichthyofauna.: 95 pp.

• Aylton Saturnino Teixeira; Celeste Mutuko Nakayama; Jorge Ivan Rebelo Porto; Eliana Feldberg, (2006) Esterase-D and chromosome patterns in Central Amazon piranha (Serrasalmus rhombeus Linnaeus, 1766) from Lake Catalão, Genet. Mol. Biol. v.29 n.3  São Paulo.

• Allendorf FW and Utter FM (1979) Population genetics. In: Hoar WS, Randall DJ and Brett JR (eds) Fish Physiology, v. 8. Academic Press, New York, pp 407-454.

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

• Alonso SK and Alfenas AC (1998) Isoenzimas na taxonomia e na genética de fitonematóides. In: Alfenas AC (ed) Eletroforese de Isoenzimas e Proteínas Afins. Editora da Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Viçosa, pp 525-539.

• Anti AB (2000) Caracterização de germoplasma de soja e de feijão através de eletroforese de isoenzimas da semente. Bragantia 59:139-142

• Dissertação de Mestrado aprovada pela PUCRS em 2001 com o título:  Aspectos da biologia da piranha Serrasalmus spilopleura (Characidae) no Município de Uruguaiana, oeste do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil. Rodrigo C. and P. Beheregaray Porto Alegre - RS - Brasil.

• Froese, R. and D. Pauly. Editors. 2002. FishBase.
  World Wide Web electronic publication. 13 November 2002.

• Cavicchioli, M; Nakatani, K; Shibatta, OA (1997): Morphometric variation of larvae and juveniles of the piranhas Serrasalmus spilopleura and S. marginatus (Characidae: Serrasalminae) of the Paraná basin, Brazil. Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters 8 (2), 97-106.

• Fink, W.L. 1993 Revision of the piranha genus «Pygocentrus» (Teleostei, Characiformes). Copeia 1993(3):665-687

• Spix, J.B. von & Agassiz, L. 1829 Selecta genera et species piscium quos in itinere per Brasiliam annos MDCCCXVII-MDCCCXX jussu et auspiciis Maximiliani Josephi I... collegit et pingendos curavit Dr. J.B. de Spix... Monachii. This is a book. Part 1:i-xvi+i-ii+1-82, pl.1-49; Part 2:83-138, pl.49-101.

• CENTOFANTE, L.; PORT, J.I.R. ; FELDBERG, And 2002. Chromosomal polymorphism in Serrasalmus spilopleura Kner, 1858 (Characidae, Serrasalminae) from Central Amazon Basin. Caryologia , 55(1):41-49.

• PORT, J. I. R. ; NAKAYAMA, C. M.; FELDBERG, And 2002. Comparative cytogenetic study of five piranha species (Serrasalmus, Serrasalminae) from the Amazon Basin. Genetica.

• NAKAYAMA, C.M.; JEGU, M.; FELDBERG, And & PORT, J.I.R. (1993). Description of two sympatric and syntopic cytotypes of piranhas of Serrasalmus rhombeus - complex (Teleostei, Serrasalmidae) from the Central Amazon basin (Amazon, Brazil).

• CENTOFANTE, L.; PORTO, J.I.R. & FELDBERG, E. (1999) Análise cromossômica na espécie de piranha Serrasalmus spilopleura (Characiformes, Serrasalmidae) do lago Catalão, Amazonas. Resumos do I Simpósio de Pós-Graduação do INPA/FUA: 14.

• Sazima, I. and S. Guimaraes. 1987. Scavenging on human corpses as a source for stories about man-eating piranhas. En. Biol. Fishes 20: 75-77.

• Casciotta, J., A. Almirón and J. Bechara   2003 Los peces de la laguna Iberiá. Colección Universitaria Ciencias Naturales. Peces Iberá: 1-203

• Menni, R. C.   2004 (5 Mar.) Peces y ambientes en la Argentina continental. Monogr. Mus. Argentina Cienc. Nat. No. 5: 1-316.

• 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 + 1-729.

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UPDATED: 12/27/2011