Piaractus mesopotamicus
| Piaractus mesopotamicus | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Serrasalmidae |
| Genus: | Piaractus |
| Species: | P. mesopotamicus
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| Binomial name | |
| Piaractus mesopotamicus | |
| Synonyms[3] | |
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Piaractus mesopotamicus, pirapitinga, the small-scaled pacu, Paraná River pacu or simply pacu (a name shared with other species), is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the piranhas, pacus and related fishes. These fishes are endemic to the drainage basin of the Paraguay River in South America.
Taxonomy
[edit]Piaractus mesopotamicus was first formally described as Myletes (Myleus) mesopotamicus in 1887 by the Argeintine naturalist and novelist Eduardo Ladislao Holmberg with its type locality given as the Río Uruguay and Río Baradero, tributaries of the Rio Paraná in Uruguay.[3] This species is classified in the genus Piaractus which belongs to the subfamily Colossomatinae within the family Serrasalmidae,[4] which is classified in the suborder Characoidei of the order Characiformes.[5]
Etymology
[edit]Piaractus mesopotamicus is a member of the genus Piaractus, this name combies the Greek pī́ar, meaning "fat", with aktís, which means "ray", an allusion to the adipose fin having fin rays. The specific name mesopotamicus means "between rivers", this probably alludes to Argernina's to Región Mesopotámica (or La Mesopotamia), a northeastern region situated between the rivers Paraná and Uruguay, where this fish is found.[6]
Description
[edit]Piaractus mesopotamicus is a robust fish, with ovoid shape, flattened laterally. Its colour is dark grey to silver, with a white belly and a yellow breast.[7] It reaches up to 62 cm (2.03 ft) in length[8] and 20 kg (44 lb) in weight.[7] The other member of its genus, P. brachypomus, can be distinguished by its larger scale-size[9] and the lower number of lateral scales (less than 110).[10]
Distribution
[edit]Piaractus mesopotamicus is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin,[7][11] but it has been introduced by aquaculture activities in a wider area.[8]
Biology
[edit]Piaractus mesopotamicus is an omnivore.[8] Young individuals usually feed on micro-crustaceans, while adults feed on plant material and insects.[8] Main food items for adults are nuts and seeds that fall from trees in flooded forests.[7] It tolerates water temperatures between 15 and 35 °C (59–95 °F), but stops feeding when it falls below 18 °C (64 °F).[8]
References
[edit]- ^ Brejão, G.L. (2023). "Piaractus mesopotamicus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2023: e.T186593A1815452. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T186593A1815452.en. Retrieved 16 December 2023.
- ^ "Piaractus mesopotamicus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved 24 January 2006.
- ^ a b Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Piaractus". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Genera in the family Colossomatinae". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ Richard van der Laan; William N. Eschmeyer; Ronald Fricke. "Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes Classification". Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 22 June 2025.
- ^ Christopher Scharpf (11 June 2025). "Family SERRASALMIDAE Bleeker 1859 (Pacus and Piranhas)". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf. Retrieved 26 June 2025.
- ^ a b c d Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Piaractus mesopotamicus". FishBase. March 2017 version.
- ^ a b c d e A. A. Agostinho, L. C. Gomes, H. I. Suzuki, H. Ferreira Júlio Jr: Migratory fishes of the Upper Paraná River basin, Brazil. Núcleo de Pesquisas em Limnologia, Ictiologia e Aquicultura (Nupelia). Universidade Estadual de Maringá. Maringá, Paraná, Brazil.
- ^ OPEFE (27 December 2011). genus Piaractus. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ Nico, L.; P. Fuller; and M. Neilson (22 October 2013). Piaractus brachypomus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. Retrieved 2 March 2017.
- ^ Nico, L.; and B. Loftus (7 October 2012). Piaractus mesopotamicus. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- El Pato Web: Especies del Paraná (in Spanish)
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