Pygocentrus nattereri

Kner, 1858.      Characiformes, Characidae,   Serrasalminae .
Common Names: Red Belly Piranha,  Red Piranha, Red Bellied Piranha.
Environment: Pelagic; freshwater;

Description: D 16-18; A 28-32; l.lat. 85-100; 24-31 scutes in ventral keel. Gill rakers of the outer branchial arch elongate, hooklike. The number of gill rakers posteriorly on the first arch (total 8-15 in Pygocentrus). Body very deep and strongly compressed; edge of belly serrate. The height of the body is nearly one-half of the total length (without caudal);  snout very obtuse and short; lips fleshly; the width of the interorbital space is a little more than one-half of the length of the head; the second infraorbital bone touches the preopercular limb. The anal and dorsal fins are set well posterior and the adipose fin is present (it always remains a rounded lobe); caudal fin distinctly forked; anal fin-base long, in old individuals fin produced to a point anteriorly. Scales small ( 2-3 mm). Piranhas have a single row of sharp teeth in their upper and lower jaws.  These teeth are tricuspid (three points) with a large, triangular blade-like middle cusp. Extremely sharp, the teeth are tightly packed and interlock, making them excellent for puncturing and shearing flesh. Coloration very variable, depending on age and environmental the body-depth and form of the head likewise change with age. Healthy, 10-15 cm. long fishes are blue-grey to brown-grey on the back; flanks pale brown above to delicate olive, silvered with numerous tiny metallic spots; underside, including the keel and belly, pectoral and ventral fins and  and anterior part of the anal, gleaming cinnabar to blood-red ; dorsal and caudal fins dark, the latter with a pale inner field ; anal fin red with a broad black margin. Total length up to 33 cm, body weight  up to 3.5 kg.

Links:
http://www.archive.org/stream/proceedingsofaca58acad#page/468/mode/2up


http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=4501

http://www2.fisheries.com/archive/members/dpauly/journalarticles/1994/analysisofpublisheddataonredbelliedpiranha.pdf
http://www.riiaamazonia.org/PUBS/T16.pdf


http://sazima.net/papers/0000/0065/piranhas-underwater.pdf

http://www.opefe.com/index.html
http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/factsheet.aspx?SpeciesID=429
http://www.ggfagro.com/books/IJSCP/IJSCP%20V_3%20I_2%20Feb2008/33-38.pdf
http://www.archive.org/stream/annalsofcarnegie09carn#page/240/mode/2up

http://www.archive.org/stream/ontogenysystemat00unit#page/130/mode/2up

http://biostor.org/reference/20517.text

http://www.archive.org/stream/fishesofwesterns00eige#page/242/mode/2u

http://www.piranha-info.com/default.php?lang=en&id=page_1

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