Pygocentrus
Pygocentrus | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Characiformes |
Family: | Serrasalmidae |
Genus: |
Pygocentrus J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844 |
Type species | |
Serrasalmus piraya G. Cuvier, 1819
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Pygocentrus is a genus of the piranha family Serrasalmidae. All species are native to tropical and subtropical South America. All the species are predatory, scavengers and may form large schools. The famous red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri, is one of four species in the genus.
Species
There are currently four recognized species in this genus:
- Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821) (black spot piranha) – Orinoco river basin.
- Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858 (red piranha, red-bellied piranha) – Amazon, Paraguay-Paraná-Uruguay, and Essequibo river basins, as well as various river in northeastern Brazil.
- Pygocentrus palometa Valenciennes, 1850 – Orinoco river basin, possibly a nomen dubium.
- Pygocentrus piraya (G. Cuvier, 1819) (San Francisco piranha) – São Francisco River