Red bellied pacu
Encyclopedia
The red bellied pacu
, Colossoma bidens, is a close relative of the piranha
, but it lacks sharp teeth and is not aggressive. The pacu, an omnivore
, has jaws that are capable of crushing human bone. Despite its similar appearance to piranhas, the Pacu is not suited to eat meat very well, as its natural diet of nuts suggests. This fish grows very fast: it can grow as much as one foot in the first year, reaching a length of 30 inches (75 cm) at maturity. Though they are usually smaller in the aquarium.
Pacú
Pacu or pacú is the common name of several South American fishes.PACU, Pacu or pacú may also refer to:*Piaractus mesopotamicus , a South American ray-finned fish that is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin*Tambaqui , known as black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu*Philippine Association...
, Colossoma bidens, is a close relative of the piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
, but it lacks sharp teeth and is not aggressive. The pacu, an omnivore
Omnivore
Omnivores are species that eat both plants and animals as their primary food source...
, has jaws that are capable of crushing human bone. Despite its similar appearance to piranhas, the Pacu is not suited to eat meat very well, as its natural diet of nuts suggests. This fish grows very fast: it can grow as much as one foot in the first year, reaching a length of 30 inches (75 cm) at maturity. Though they are usually smaller in the aquarium.