Teleostei (teleosts) >
Characiformes (Characins) >
Serrasalmidae (Piranhas and pacus) > Serrasalminae
Etymology: Serrasalmus: Latin, serran, serranus, saw and a fish of genus Serranus + Latin, salmo = salmon (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Valenciennes.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; benthopelagic. Tropical
South America: Paraguay-Paraná River basin.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm 12.2 range ? - ? cm
Max length : 27.1 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 115169); 32.4 cm TL (female); max. published weight: 440.00 g (Ref. 115169); max. published weight: 440.00 g
Feeds mainly during the daytime, though some large fish (15-20 cm SL) extend their foraging activity to dusk (about 1800-1900H). Night is spent sheltered among vegetation. Small-sized to medium-sized fish (7-10 cm) are solitary and patrol feeding territories (3-4 square m.) in a way similar to that reported for the scale-eating Catoprion mento. Stalking with some use of plant cover is a frequent mode of hunting employed by S. marginatus. It approaches its prey with a slow, stealthy movement from behind or below. It strikes its prey on the tail or anal fin, of which a piece is clipped out with a jerking motion of the body. This clipping is audible underwater. Lurking is also employed during daytime (Ref. 9080).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturities | Reproduction | Spawnings | Egg(s) | Fecundities | Larvae
Jégu, M., 2003. Serrasalminae (Pacus and piranhas). p. 182-196. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 39031)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Tools
Special reports
Download XML
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01318 (0.01065 - 0.01632), b=3.17 (3.12 - 3.22), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 3.6 ±0.56 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (22 of 100).
