Classification / Names
Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes (gen., sp.) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa
Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes) > Characiformes
(Characins) > Serrasalmidae
Etymology: Pygocentrus: Greek, pyge = rump + Greek, kentron = sting (Ref. 45335).
The genus allocation is uncertain, it could be in Serrasalmus Lacepède, 1803 according to Nico 2001. Please send references or more studies are needed.
Environment / Climate / Range
Freshwater; pelagic. Tropical
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 27.9 cm TL male/unsexed; (Ref. 39031); max. published weight: 560.00 g (Ref. 6870)
South America: widely distributed in the Orinoco River basin lowlands and tributaries.
Has powerful dentition that can inflict serious bites (Ref. 4537).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Fink, W.L., 1993. Revision of the piranha genus Pygocentrus. Copeia 1993(3):665-687. (Ref. 27142)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 96402)
CITES (Ref. 94142)
Threat to humans
Common namesSynonymsMetabolismPredatorsEcotoxicologyReproductionMaturitySpawningFecundityEggsEgg development
ReferencesAquacultureAquaculture profileStrainsGeneticsAllele frequenciesHeritabilityDiseasesProcessingMass conversion
Estimates of some properties based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82805
= 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Trophic Level (Ref. 69278
): 3.6 ±0.76 se; Based on food items.
Resilience (Ref. 69278
): High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Vulnerability (Ref. 59153
): Low vulnerability (19 of 100) .