Pygocentrus cariba
Pygocentrus cariba or black spot piranha is a species of piranha native to the Orinoco River basin lowlands and the Llanos region in Venezuela and Colombia. This species can reach a total length of 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in). It is popular as a game fish.[1]
| Pygocentrus cariba | |
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| Species: | P. cariba |
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| Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821) | |
They are a carnivorous species, that feed on a wide variety of fish, carrion, invertebrates, and other aquatic animals.
The name Cariba means cannibal in native language, and comes from the people of the Island Caribs who had a reputation as warriors who raided neighboring islands, and practiced cannibalism, according to the Spanish conquistadors. This species has very high propensity for cannibalism among its species.
References
- Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2013). "Pygocentrus cariba" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
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