Page 94 - Encyclopedia of Aquarium and Pond Fish, 3rd Edition

92 FRESHWATER FISH DIRECTORY

DREADED HUNTERS

Few fish inspire greater fear than piranhas.
While many predatory fish live solitary lives,
piranhas are like packs of wolves, living and
hunting together in groups and occasionally
taking prey as large as horses or even people.
Indeed, keeping these notorious fish is
outlawed in some parts of the world because
of fears over their likely impact if they were
to become established in the wild outside
their normal range. Piranhas have a sharp
sense of smell, which enables them to detect
blood in the water. Repeated splashing,
indicating a creature out of its depth, is
equally likely to attract the attention of a
hungry shoal. They then go into a feeding
frenzy, ripping repeatedly into their victim,
using their sharp teeth to pull off mouthfuls
of flesh. The short upper jaw helps the fish to
gain a firm anchorage, while the powerful
lower jaw provides strength, enabling the
small, triangular, interlocking teeth to shear
through tissue with ease. Being instinctive
bullies, piranhas will turn on weak or injured
members of their own kind, especially if just
two or three are housed in a tank. A larger
group, from five upward, will reduce the
likelihood of this, since there will be less of
an established hierarchy within the shoal.

Serrasalmus nattereri Ichthyborus ornatus Exodon paradoxus
Red-Bellied Piranha Ornate Fin-Nipper Bucktooth Tetra

ORIGINS South America, in both the Orinoco and ORIGINS Occurs in the tropical area of western Africa, ORIGINS South America, occurring in various localities in
Amazon River basins, from Guyana south to La Plata. where it is found in the Zaire basin. the Amazon basin from Guyana to Brazil.
SIZE 12 in (30 cm). SIZE 8 in (20 cm). SIZE 6 in (15 cm).
DIET Meat-based foods and live foods. DIET Larger aquatic invertebrates and fish-based foods. DIET Thawed, freeze-dried, and fresh live foods.
WATER Temperature 77–81°F (25–27°C); soft WATER Temperature 73–82°F (23–28°C); hard WATER Temperature 73–82°F (23–28°C); hard
(50–100 mg/l) and acidic (pH 6.5). (100–150 mg/l) and neutral (pH 7.0). (up to 200 mg/l) and neutral (pH 7.0).
TEMPERAMENT Aggressive and territorial. TEMPERAMENT Aggressive yet shy. TEMPERAMENT Not suitable for a community aquarium.
Red-Bellied Piranhas require a spacious setup, These large tetras have a distinctive black spot just
decorated with some bogwood to provide retreats, in front of and below the dorsal fin, with another
as well as subdued lighting and a good filter. They on the caudal peduncle. Beautiful they may be, but
are not active fish by nature, except when feeding. they are brutal, too, simply slicing chunks out of
Adults have a silvery, speckled appearance with red prey that are above swallowable size. Keep
on the underparts. Juveniles also have black spots Bucktooth Tetras in shoals of a dozen or so to lessen
on their bodies. Piranhas can inflict a painful bite. their aggressive tendencies; even the young will
Large individuals can bite through cabling, so an cannibalize one another. Adding peat to the filter
undergravel heating unit is advisable. (see p.46) will create good water conditions.
The silvery underparts and the brown on the
upper body help to set this highly predatory
species apart from related fin-nippers, including
the African Pike Characin (P. loricatus). The term
“fin-nipper” comes from their habit of biting pieces
from the fins of fish that are too large to swallow
whole. Keep them separate, therefore, in a
relatively dark yet well-planted tank. It must offer
adequate retreats, since all fin-nippers are nervous.

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