Vénézuela - List of fishes

It also feeds off of feces of other animals. To protect itself, it has sharp bony plates along its sides. It emits sounds reminiscent of grunts. It easily acclimate to the aquarium, but because of its large size, it can become cumbersome.

It is one of the most known species to aquarists. It breeds easily in captivity, but it is too often taken from the wild. For several years, it has started to being raised in it home region. It became a source of income for local people.

Mostly herbivorous, appreciates the ripe fruits fallen from trees whose seeds it helps disperse. In the aquarium trade, it is sold under the name "herbivorous piranha". Because of its size, it is not recommended for specimens aquariums. It is bred in pisciculture.

The male is much smaller and more colorful than the female. It is an ovoviviparous species, the male fertilizes it partner through its anal fin which forms a kind of gutter. It is the most popular aquarium fish, there are many varieties.

Like many catfish species, it hunts at night. The female is larger than the male and lays huge amounts of eggs (8 million eggs per kilo). Because of its size and its diet, you should not keep it in a private aquarium.

It is carnivorous, its sharp teeth have earned it the local name. (Pira = fish, Nha = tooth). Its dangerousness was often exaggerated: it serves as prey of many animals (alligators, giant otter ...). Piranhas are especially dangerous for humans in the dry season, when they lack food.

It is a nocturnal hunter. It lives in the bottom of the rivers, where it remains upright to hide among the reeds. It fits well in a large aquarium. But we must avoid leaving it with small fish that it could eat.