Violet line piranha
Encyclopedia
Violet line piranhas or Gery's piranhas (Serrasalmus geryi) are a species of fish
found in the lower Tocantins and Araguaia Rivers of Brazil
. This rare Serrasalmus is the one piranha
of the genus
Serrasalmus
than can coexist with others of the same species (though caution is advised). Gery's Piranha reaches sizes up to 12 inches in length.
.
Color:
Silvery bodied fish with numerous small spots on the flanks. Anal fin is hyaline
with a broad black margin. Pectoral and ventral fins are clear. A humeral spot may be present. Eyes silvery to reddish-orange.
A quick visual reference to identify this fish:
Maximum Size:
Approx. 25 cm. (10") TL.
Specimens over 20 cm. (8") TL are quite rare in captivity.
Sexing:
Not sexually dimorphic: males and females look similar.
Recommended tank size for an adult specimen is 120x45x50 cm. (48x18x20").
Juvenile specimen can be kept in a smaller tank: minimum 60x30x30 cm. (24x12x12").
This is one of the few Serrasalmus species that have successfully been kept in a group for a while: minimum recommended size to attempt this is 150x50x60 cm. (60x20x24") - only to be attempted by very experienced piranha keepers who know exactly what they are doing, and know what risks are involved.
Plants, driftwood
or rocks provide hiding places; the tank lights should be dimmed.
Heavy filtration required to deal with the large amounts of waste this fish produces. A powerhead can be added to provide currents.
Fish can be dangerous to hands and other extremities. Care is required in handling.
Water temperature:
24-29 degrees Celsius
(76-84 degrees Fahrenheit
).
Water chemistry:
pH
should be between 6.0 - 8.0, ideal is slightly acidic to neutral water: pH 6.5 - 7.2
Soft water is preferred.
Compatible Species:
Although this species has successfully been kept in a group, it is highly recommended to keep the Geryi Piranha as a solitary fish: it remains a parasitic and highly aggressive species.
Breeding:
No instances of captive breeding have been reported as of yet.
Diet:
Fish (whole, fillet or feeders *), shrimp
, cockles
, mussels, squid
, insects, earthworms, pellets.
Food items such as poultry
, mammal
meat, and organ meat should be fed sparingly: once or twice a month at most. Meat needs to be unseasoned and trimmed of any fat.
On rare occasions this species accepts vegetables, nuts, seeds, or fruit as well.
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
found in the lower Tocantins and Araguaia Rivers of Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. This rare Serrasalmus is the one 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...
of the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Serrasalmus
Serrasalmus
The genus Serrasalmus consists of several species of piranhas in family Serrasalmidae of the family Characidae. They are collectively known as pirambebas; the "typical" piranhas like the Piraya Piranha are nowadays placed in Pygocentrus....
than can coexist with others of the same species (though caution is advised). Gery's Piranha reaches sizes up to 12 inches in length.
Morphology (Body Characteristics)
Body shape is similar to other compressus group members and are very laterally compressed such as; S. altuvei, S. hastatus, S. compressus and S. altispinis. The fish is distinctive at all ages with its broad stripe running from lower mouth to top of beginning of dorsal finDorsal fin
A dorsal fin is a fin located on the backs of various unrelated marine and freshwater vertebrates, including most fishes, marine mammals , and the ichthyosaurs...
.
Color:
Silvery bodied fish with numerous small spots on the flanks. Anal fin is hyaline
Hyaline
The term hyaline denotes a substance with a glass-like appearance.-Histopathology:In histopathological medical usage, a hyaline substance appears glassy and pink after being stained with haematoxylin and eosin — usually it is an acellular, proteinaceous material...
with a broad black margin. Pectoral and ventral fins are clear. A humeral spot may be present. Eyes silvery to reddish-orange.
A quick visual reference to identify this fish:
- Reddish-orange eyes
- Violet line running from the lower jaw, over the back until the base of the tail fin
- Concave head shape
Maximum Size:
Approx. 25 cm. (10") TL.
Specimens over 20 cm. (8") TL are quite rare in captivity.
Sexing:
Not sexually dimorphic: males and females look similar.
Care
Tank Requirements:Recommended tank size for an adult specimen is 120x45x50 cm. (48x18x20").
Juvenile specimen can be kept in a smaller tank: minimum 60x30x30 cm. (24x12x12").
This is one of the few Serrasalmus species that have successfully been kept in a group for a while: minimum recommended size to attempt this is 150x50x60 cm. (60x20x24") - only to be attempted by very experienced piranha keepers who know exactly what they are doing, and know what risks are involved.
Plants, driftwood
Driftwood
Driftwood is wood that has been washed onto a shore or beach of a sea or river by the action of winds, tides, waves or man. It is a form of marine debris or tidewrack....
or rocks provide hiding places; the tank lights should be dimmed.
Heavy filtration required to deal with the large amounts of waste this fish produces. A powerhead can be added to provide currents.
Fish can be dangerous to hands and other extremities. Care is required in handling.
Water temperature:
24-29 degrees Celsius
Celsius
Celsius is a scale and unit of measurement for temperature. It is named after the Swedish astronomer Anders Celsius , who developed a similar temperature scale two years before his death...
(76-84 degrees Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
).
Water chemistry:
pH
PH
In chemistry, pH is a measure of the acidity or basicity of an aqueous solution. Pure water is said to be neutral, with a pH close to 7.0 at . Solutions with a pH less than 7 are said to be acidic and solutions with a pH greater than 7 are basic or alkaline...
should be between 6.0 - 8.0, ideal is slightly acidic to neutral water: pH 6.5 - 7.2
Soft water is preferred.
Compatible Species:
Although this species has successfully been kept in a group, it is highly recommended to keep the Geryi Piranha as a solitary fish: it remains a parasitic and highly aggressive species.
Breeding:
No instances of captive breeding have been reported as of yet.
Diet:
Fish (whole, fillet or feeders *), shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
, cockles
Cockle (bivalve)
Cockle is the common name for a group of small, edible, saltwater clams, marine bivalve molluscs in the family Cardiidae.Various species of cockles live in sandy sheltered beaches throughout the world....
, mussels, squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
, insects, earthworms, pellets.
Food items such as poultry
Poultry
Poultry are domesticated birds kept by humans for the purpose of producing eggs, meat, and/or feathers. These most typically are members of the superorder Galloanserae , especially the order Galliformes and the family Anatidae , commonly known as "waterfowl"...
, mammal
Mammal
Mammals are members of a class of air-breathing vertebrate animals characterised by the possession of endothermy, hair, three middle ear bones, and mammary glands functional in mothers with young...
meat, and organ meat should be fed sparingly: once or twice a month at most. Meat needs to be unseasoned and trimmed of any fat.
On rare occasions this species accepts vegetables, nuts, seeds, or fruit as well.
- Live fish need to be quarantined first, so they are safe to feed (containing no diseases or parasites). GoldfishGoldfishThe goldfish is a freshwater fish in the family Cyprinidae of order Cypriniformes. It was one of the earliest fish to be domesticated, and is one of the most commonly kept aquarium fish....
, minnowsLeuciscinaeLeuciscinae, commonly known as true minnows, are a subfamily of small fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae.However, the term minnow is also used as an unspecific term for tiny freshwater and saltwater fish, especially those used as fishing bait....
and other members of the CyprinidCyprinidThe family Cyprinidae, from the Ancient Greek kyprînos , consists of the carps, the true minnows, and their relatives . Commonly called the carp family or the minnow family, its members are also known as cyprinids...
family (Carp-like fish) should be avoided, as these fish contain growth-inhibiting hormones (Thaiminase/Vitamine B1 inhibitors) that could negatively affect the piranha's health and development.