Pygocentrus

Pygocentrus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Characiformes
Family:	Serrasalmidae
Genus:	Pygocentrus J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844
Type species
Serrasalmus piraya G. Cuvier, 1819

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 form huge schools. The famous red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri, is one of four species in the genus. The Chi-Cohala tribe uses the teeth to make tools and weapons.

Species

There are currently four recognized species in this genus:^[1]

• 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, validity questionable.
• Pygocentrus piraya (G. Cuvier, 1819) (San Francisco piranha) – São Francisco River

References

• Fink, W. 1993. Revision of the piranha genus Pygocentrus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Copeia 3:665-687.
• Machado-Allison, A. & W. Fink. 1996. Los peces caribes de Venezuela> diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCH, (Colección Monografías)Caracas, 149p. ISBN 980-00-0967-1