''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of

piranha A piranha (, or ; ) is any of a number of freshwater fish species in the subfamily Serrasalminae, of the family Serrasalmidae, in the order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, floodplains, lakes and reservoirs. Although ...

s. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''

Pygocentrus ''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 ...

''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish are predatory, have sharp teeth and generally have a

rhomboid Traditionally, in two-dimensional geometry, a rhomboid is a parallelogram in which adjacent sides are of unequal lengths and angles are non-right angled. The terms "rhomboid" and "parallelogram" are often erroneously conflated with each oth ...

shape. In some, the shape is more

ovoid An oval () is a closed curve in a plane which resembles the outline of an egg. The term is not very specific, but in some areas of mathematics (projective geometry, technical drawing, etc.), it is given a more precise definition, which may inc ...

, particularly in old specimens. Some ''Serrasalmus''

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

can exceed (''S. manueli'' and ''S. rhombeus'', according to OPEFE), placing them among the largest

Serrasalmidae The Serrasalmidae (serrasalmids) are a family of characiform fishes native to freshwater habitats of South America. They include more than 90 species. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the ...

Middle Miocene The Middle Miocene is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), epoch made up of two Stage (stratigraphy), stages: the Langhian and Serravallian stages. The Middle Miocene is preceded by the Early Miocene. The sub-epoch lasted from 15.97 ± 0. ...

-aged fossil remains of ''Serrasalmus'' are known from the

Pebas Formation The Pebas Formation is a stratigraphic unit#Lithostratigraphic units, lithostratigraphic unit of Miocene age, found in western Amazon rainforest, Amazonia. The geological formation, formation extends over , including parts of Brazil, Peru, Ecuador ...

of Peru.

Species

There are at least 31 recognized species in this genus: * '' Serrasalmus altispinis'' Merckx, Jégu & dos Santos, 2000 * ''

Serrasalmus altuvei ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' Ramírez, 1965 (''caribe pinche'') * '' Serrasalmus aureus'' (

Spix Johann Baptist Ritter von Spix (9 February 1781 – 13 March 1826) was a German natural history, biologist. From his expedition to Brazil, he brought to Germany a large variety of specimens of plants, insects, mammals, birds, amphibians and fish. ...

Agassiz Jean Louis Rodolphe Agassiz ( ; ) FRS (For) FRSE (May 28, 1807 – December 14, 1873) was a Swiss-born American biologist and geologist who is recognized as a scholar of Earth's natural history. Spending his early life in Switzerland, he recei ...

, 1829) * ''

Serrasalmus auriventris ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' ( Burmeister, 1861) * ''

Serrasalmus brandtii ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' Lütken, 1875 (white piranha) * ''

Serrasalmus calmoni ''Pristobrycon calmoni'' is a South American species of serrasalmid fish. Habitat It is mostly found in black or acidic waters, and in the turbid waters of the tributaries and main channel of the middle and low Orinoco River. Description Th ...

'' (

Steindachner Franz Steindachner (11 November 1834 in Vienna – 10 December 1919 in Vienna) was an Austrian zoologist, ichthyologist, and herpetologist. He published over 200 papers on fishes and over 50 papers on reptiles and amphibians. Steindachner descri ...

, 1908) * ''

Serrasalmus careospinus ''Pristobrycon careospinus'' is a species of serrasalmid endemic of Venezuela. Habitat Habits mainly in black or acidic waters in Amazonas State of Venezuela (High Orinoco). The type locality is a lagoon near San Fernando de Atabapo in the ...

'' W. L. Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992 * '' Serrasalmus compressus'' Jégu, Leão & dos Santos, 1991 * '' Serrasalmus eigenmanni''

Norman Norman or Normans may refer to: Ethnic and cultural identity * The Normans, a people partly descended from Norse Vikings who settled in the territory of Normandy in France in the 9th and 10th centuries ** People or things connected with the Norma ...

, 1929 * '' Serrasalmus elongatus'' Kner, 1858 (slender piranha, ''caribe pinche'') * '' Serrasalmus emarginatus'' (

Jardine Jardine is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Al Jardine (born 1942), member of the Beach Boys * Alexander Jardine (British Army officer) (died 1799), Scottish army officer and author * Alexander Jardine (Medal of Honor) (1874– ...

, 1841) * ''

Serrasalmus geryi ''Serrasalmus geryi'', known as the violet line piranha or Gery's piranha, is a species of piranha of the family Serrasalmidae. It is found in the lower Tocantins and Araguaia Rivers of Brazil. The species is notable for being the one of only th ...

'' Jégu & dos Santos, 1988 (violet line piranha) * '' Serrasalmus gibbus'' Castelnau, 1855 * '' Serrasalmus gouldingi'' W. L. Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992 (blue tiger piranha) * '' Serrasalmus hastatus'' W. L. Fink & Machado-Allison, 2001 * ''

Serrasalmus hollandi ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' ( C. H. Eigenmann, 1915) * ''

Serrasalmus humeralis ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; ; or ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced ...

, 1850 (pirambeba) * ''

Serrasalmus irritans ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' ( W. K. H. Peters, 1877) (Iridescent piranha，''"caribe pinche"'') * ''

Serrasalmus maculatus ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' Kner, 1858 (spotted piranha) * '' Serrasalmus maculipinnis'' W. L. Fink & Machado-Allison, 1992 * '' Serrasalmus manueli'' ( Fernández-Yépez & Ramírez, 1967) (green tiger piranha, ''caribe parguasero'') * ''

Serrasalmus marginatus ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

, 1837 * '' Serrasalmus medinai'' Ramírez, 1965 (red-throated piranha) * '' Serrasalmus nalseni'' Fernández-Yépez, 1969 (''caribe pintado'') * '' Serrasalmus neveriensis'' Machado-Allison, W. L. Fink, López Rojas & Rodenas, 1993 * '' Serrasalmus nigricans'' (

, 1829) * '' Serrasalmus nigricauda'' ( Burmeister, 1861) * ''

Serrasalmus odyssei ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

Hubert Hubert is a Germanic masculine given name, from ''hug'' "mind" and '' beraht'' "bright". It also occurs as a surname. Saint Hubert of Liège (or Hubertus) (c. 656 – 30 May 727) is the patron saint of hunters, mathematicians, opticians, and m ...

& Renno, 2010 * ''

Serrasalmus rhombeus The black piranha (''Serrasalmus rhombeus''), also known as the redeye piranha, white piranha, spotted piranha or yellow piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish, a piranha from the Family (biology), family Serrasalmidae. It is found in ...

'' (

Linnaeus Carl Linnaeus (23 May 1707 – 10 January 1778), also known after ennoblement in 1761 as Carl von Linné,#Blunt, Blunt (2004), p. 171. was a Swedish biologist and physician who formalised binomial nomenclature, the modern system of naming o ...

, 1766) (redeye piranha, ''caribe amarillo'') * ''

Serrasalmus sanchezi The sharp-snouted piranha (''Serrasalmus sanchezi'') is a species of serrasalmid endemic to Peru. It is part of the '' S. rhombeus'' complex. It reaches a maximum size of around 7 inches (18 cm). Individuals often exhibit a red throat, simi ...

Géry Géry () is a commune in the Meuse department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. See also *Communes of the Meuse department The following is a list of the 499 Communes of France, communes of the Meuse (department), Meuse Departments of ...

, 1964 (sharp-snouted piranha) * '' Serrasalmus scotopterus'' (

, 1841) * ''

Serrasalmus serrulatus ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' (

, 1850) (''caribe cortador'') * ''

Serrasalmus spilopleura ''Serrasalmus'' is a genus of piranhas. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the piraya piranha are nowadays placed in ''Pygocentrus''. Like all piranhas, ''Serrasalmus'' are native to South America. These fish ...

'' Kner, 1858 (speckled piranha) * '' Serrasalmus stagnatilis'' (

, 1841) * '' Serrasalmus striolatus'' (

, 1908) * '' Serrasalmus undulatus'' (

, 1841)

References

* * * Serrasalmidae Piranhas Fish of South America {{Characiformes-stub