Evolution and Systematics
Functional Adaptations
Functional adaptation
Eyes of piranhas can see in dark, murky waters because they can detect far-red light.
"Thanks to far-red light, some fish can see even in water that appears black to us. The ferocious piranha, for example, swimming in the murky waters of the Amazon, perceives the water as dark red, a color that is visually penetrable, rather than black. The water looks red because the molecules of rotting vegetation in it absorb most wavelengths of visible light except far-red light, which is reflected back and can be seen by the piranha, allowing it to see the prey that it is hunting, apparently in the dark." (Shuker 2001:19)
Learn more about this functional adaptation.
- Shuker, KPN. 2001. The Hidden Powers of Animals: Uncovering the Secrets of Nature. London: Marshall Editions Ltd. 240 p.
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Pygocentrus
Pygocentrus is a genus of the piranha family Characidae. All are native to tropical South America. It is mainly located in the Amazon, San Francisco and Orinoco rivers. Three especies are fully recognized. P. cariba (Humboldt, 1821) in the Orinoco; P. nattereri Kner, 1869 in the Amazonas: and P. piraya (Cuvier, 1819) in the San Francisco River. P. palometa Valenciennes, 1850 is a dubious species (Fink, 1993; Machado-Allison and Fink, 1996). All the species are predatory, scavengers and form huge schools. The Chi-Cohala tribe uses the teeth to make tools and weapons.
Species
- Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821) (black spot piranha)
- Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858 (red piranha, red-bellied piranha)
- Pygocentrus palometa Valenciennes, 1850
- Pygocentrus piraya (G. Cuvier, 1819) (San Francisco piranha)
References
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2011). Species of Pygocentrus in FishBase. October 2011 version.
- Fink, W. 1993. Revision of the piranha genus Pygocentrus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Copeia 3:665-687.
- Machado-Allison, A. & W. Fink. 1996. Los peces caribes de Venezuela> diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCH, (Colección Monografías)Caracas, 149p. ISBN 980-00-0967-1
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