| Pygopristis | |
|---|---|
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Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Serrasalmidae |
| Genus: | Pygopristis J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844 |
| Species: | P. denticulata |
| Binomial name | |
| Pygopristis denticulata (G. Cuvier, 1819) | |
| Synonyms | |
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Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha, is a species of piranha. It is a rare South American characiform fish found in the Orinoco River basin, rivers of the northern and eastern Guiana Shield, and tributaries of the lower Amazon River. Like other piranhas, it is found in freshwater, with specimens of this species typically found in acidic clearwater or blackwater environments. Despite their ferocious reputation, many piranhas have broader diets; this species usually feeds on aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits.
P. denticulata has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp that is usually only slightly larger than the other cusps. This is unlike other piranhas, which have tricuspid teeth with a larger middle cusp, making the teeth appear triangular. Within the family Serrasalmidae, P. denticulata is more closely related to Catoprion than it is to the majority of species traditionally considered true piranhas.
P. denticulata grows to about 20.0 cm (7.9 in) in total length. It has 62 chromosomes.
References
- ^ Fink, William L. (1989-01-01). "Ontogeny and phylogeny of shape and diet in the South American fishes called piranhas". Geobios. Ontogenèse Et Évolution. 22: 167–172. Bibcode:1989Geobi..22..167F. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80017-8. ISSN 0016-6995.
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pygopristis denticulata". FishBase. July 2007 version.
- Machado-Allison, A. and W. Fink (1996). Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela. Diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCV. (Colección Monografías), Caracas, ISBN 980-00-0967-1, 149p.
- ^ Freeman, Barbie; Nico, Leo G.; Osentoski, Matthew; Jelks, Howard L.; Collins, Timothy M. (2007). "Molecular systematics of Serrasalmidae: Deciphering the identities of piranha species and unraveling their evolutionary histories" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1484: 1–38. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0469.2000.384132.x.
| Taxon identifiers | |
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| Pygopristis denticulata | |
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