Pygopristis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Serrasalmidae
Genus: Pygopristis
J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844
Species:
P. denticulata
Binomial name
Pygopristis denticulata
(G. Cuvier, 1819)
Synonyms
  • Serrasalmus denticulatus
    G. Cuvier, 1819
  • Serrasalmus punctatus
    Jardine, 1841
  • Pygopristis fumarius
    J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1845

Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha, is a species of piranha.[1] It is a rare South American characiform fish found in the Orinoco River basin, rivers of the northern and eastern Guiana Shield, and tributaries of the lower Amazon River.[2] Like other piranhas, it is found in freshwater,[1] with specimens of this species typically found in acidic clearwater or blackwater environments. Despite their ferocious reputation, many piranhas have broader diets;[1] this species usually feeds on aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits.[3]

P. denticulata has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp that is usually only slightly larger than the other cusps. This is unlike other piranhas, which have tricuspid teeth with a larger middle cusp, making the teeth appear triangular.[4] Within the family Serrasalmidae, P. denticulata is more closely related to Catoprion than it is to the majority of species traditionally considered true piranhas.[4]

P. denticulata grows to about 20.0 cm (7.9 in) in total length.[2] It has 62 chromosomes.[4]

References

  1. 1 2 3 Fink, William L. (1989-01-01). "Ontogeny and phylogeny of shape and diet in the South American fishes called piranhas". Geobios. Ontogenèse Et Évolution. 22: 167–172. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80017-8. ISSN 0016-6995.
  2. 1 2 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2007). "Pygopristis denticulata" in FishBase. July 2007 version.
  3. ↑ Machado-Allison, A. and W. Fink (1996). Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela. Diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCV. (Colección Monografías), Caracas, ISBN 980-00-0967-1, 149p.
  4. 1 2 3 Freeman, Barbie; Nico, Leo G.; Osentoski, Matthew; Jelks, Howard L.; Collins, Timothy M. (2007). "Molecular systematics of Serrasalmidae: Deciphering the identities of piranha species and unraveling their evolutionary histories" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1484: 1–38. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0469.2000.384132.x.
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