Pygopristis

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Pygopristis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Serrasalmidae
Subfamily: Serrasalminae
Genus: Pygopristis
J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844
Species:
P. denticulata
Binomial name
Pygopristis denticulata
(Cuvier, 1819)
Synonyms[2]
  • Serrasalmus denticulatus Cuvier, 1819
  • Serrasalmus punctatus Jardine, 1841
  • Pygopristis fumarius J. Müller & Troschel, 1844
  • Pygopristis serrulatus Valenciennes, 1850
  • Serrasalmus serrulatus (Valenciennes, 1850)

Pygopristis is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes.. The only species in the genus is Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha,.[3] This species 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.[4] Like other piranhas, it is found in freshwater,[3] with specimens of this species typically found in acidic clearwater or blackwater environments. Despite their ferocious reputation, many piranhas have broader diets;[3] this species feeds on the scales of other fish as juveniles,[5] but transitions to a broader diet of aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits as adults.[6]

Biology

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P. denticulata grows to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length.[4] It has 62 chromosomes.[7]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.[7]

Taxonomy

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Within the family Serrasalmidae, P. denticulata is more closely related to Catoprion than it is to the majority of species traditionally considered true piranhas.[7]

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  • Juvenile
    Juvenile
  • Dentition
    Dentition

References

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  1. ^ Brejão, G.L. (2024). "Pygopristis denticulata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024: e.T164537816A164537834. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T164537816A164537834.en. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  2. ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pygopristis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c 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. Bibcode:1989Geobi..22..167F. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80017-8. ISSN 0016-6995.
  4. ^ a b Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pygopristis denticulata". FishBase. July 2007 version.
  5. ^ Kolmann, Matthew A.; Huie, Jonathan M.; Evans, Kory; Summers, Adam P. (January 2018). "Specialized specialists and the narrow niche fallacy: a tale of scale-feeding fishes". Royal Society Open Science. 5 (1): 171581. doi:10.1098/rsos.171581. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 5792939. PMID 29410862.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: article number as page number (link)
  6. ^ Machado-Allison, A.; W. Fink (1996). Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela. Diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. (Colección Monografías). Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCV. ISBN 980-00-0967-1.
  7. ^ a b c 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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