Pygocentrus cariba or black spot piranha is a species of piranha native to the Orinoco River basin lowlands and the Llanos region in Venezuela and Colombia. This species can reach a total length of 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in). It is popular as a game fish.[1]
Pygocentrus cariba | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Characiformes |
Family: | Serrasalmidae |
Genus: | Pygocentrus |
Species: | P. cariba |
Binomial name | |
Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821) | |
They are a carnivorous species, that feed on a wide variety of fish, carrion, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals.
The name Cariba means cannibal in native language, and comes from the people of the Island Caribs who had a reputation as warriors who raided neighboring islands, and practiced cannibalism, according to the Spanish conquistadors. This species has very high propensity for cannibalism among its species.
Taxon identifiers |
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