Home / Fishes / Tetras, piranhas and pacus / Black spot piranha
No federal permit to keepBlack spot piranha
Pygocentrus cariba
Fishes › Tetras, piranhas and pacus (Characiformes) › Serrasalmidae (Piranhas and pacus)
Pygocentrus cariba, or black spot piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 66 in long and 21 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 11.0 in / 27.9 cm).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Safety: Can injure people (sharp spines, teeth or electric shock): use nets and care when working in the tank.
- Availability: Rarely or never seen in the aquarium trade; expect to source it from specialists or not at all.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 94 × 35 in (roughly 342 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: soft, acidic water, 68–82 °F, pH 4–7, 1–10 dGH.
- Behaviour: a shoaling fish best kept in a group of six or more; not a community fish.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “Some aquarists maintain this species in bare-bottomed arrangements for ease of maintenance, but standard aquarium gravel or sand are both suitable substrates.”
- Tankmates: “Best-maintained alone although adults tend to leave much smaller fishes alone if well-fed.”
- Breeding: “Unrecorded, but probably employs a similar reproductive strategy to that of the congener P.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Piranhas, pacus and silver dollars
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: South American rivers. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Large tanks with strong filtration; pacus grow to over 2 ft and outgrow almost every home aquarium.
Diet
- Silver dollars: plant-based foods. Piranhas: fish, shrimp and pellets.
Health watch
- Piranhas are banned in many states. Never release pacus.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
The blackspot piranha is restricted to Venezuela and Colombia; specifically, to the Orinoco River basin lowlands and the Llanos region. This species can reach a total length of 27.9 centimetres (11.0 in).
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Pygocentrus cariba” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater. Has powerful dentition that can inflict serious bites. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater. |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 94°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 70°F (down to 68°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 79–82°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 73–77% on average (driest month about 63%) |
| Rainfall | about 2188 mm a year |
Measured at 151 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | Pygocentrus cariba, or black spot piranha, is a species of freshwater ray-finned fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes. The blackspot piranha is restricted to Venezuela and Colombia; specifically, to the Orinoco River basin lowlands and the Llanos region. This species can reach a total length of 27.9 cm. It is popular as a game fish. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Maximum length 27.9 cm tl male/unsexed; maximum published weight 560.00 g. — FishBase |
| Biology | Has powerful dentition that can inflict serious bites. — FishBase |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Typical adult weight
Average adult body mass in each database (FishBase gives the maximum recorded weight).
Adult length
Maximum recorded length. Measured as total length. Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 94 × 35 in (about 342 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Management of aquarium fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Types and features of aquatic systems Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Merck Veterinary Manual: Nutritional diseases of fish Zoo, university or veterinaryThe Merck Veterinary Manual: a standard veterinary reference written and reviewed by veterinary specialists.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
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