Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jul 25, 2026

Pygopristis

Pygopristis is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes.. The only species in the genus is Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha,. This species is a rare South American characiform fish found in the Orinoco River basin, rivers of the northern and eastern Guiana Shield, and tributaries of the lower Amazon River. Like other piranhas, it is found in freshwater, with specimens of this species typically found in acidic clearwater or blackwater environments. Despite their ferocious reputation, many piranhas have broader diets; this species feeds on the scales of other fish as juveniles, but transitions to a broader diet of aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits as adults.

Last revised
Jul 25, 2026
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Pygopristis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Serrasalmidae
Subfamily: Serrasalminae
Genus: Pygopristis
J. P. Müller & Troschel, 1844
Species:
P. denticulata
Binomial name
Pygopristis denticulata
(Cuvier, 1819)
Synonyms2
  • Serrasalmus denticulatus Cuvier, 1819
  • Serrasalmus punctatus Jardine, 1841
  • Pygopristis fumarius J. Müller & Troschel, 1844
  • Pygopristis serrulatus Valenciennes, 1850
  • Serrasalmus serrulatus (Valenciennes, 1850)

Pygopristis is a monospecific genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes.. The only species in the genus is Pygopristis denticulata, also known as the lobetoothed piranha,.3 This species is a rare South American characiform fish found in the Orinoco River basin, rivers of the northern and eastern Guiana Shield, and tributaries of the lower Amazon River.4 Like other piranhas, it is found in freshwater,3 with specimens of this species typically found in acidic clearwater or blackwater environments. Despite their ferocious reputation, many piranhas have broader diets;3 this species feeds on the scales of other fish as juveniles,5 but transitions to a broader diet of aquatic insects, small fish, and fruits as adults.6

Biology

P. denticulata grows to about 20 cm (7.9 in) in total length.4 It has 62 chromosomes.7P. denticulata has pentacuspid teeth and a middle cusp that is usually only slightly larger than the other cusps. This is unlike other piranhas, which have tricuspid teeth with a larger middle cusp, making the teeth appear triangular.7

Taxonomy

Within the family Serrasalmidae, P. denticulata is more closely related to Catoprion than it is to the majority of species traditionally considered true piranhas.7

  • Juvenile
    Juvenile
  • Dentition
    Dentition
References

References

  1. Brejão, G.L. (2024). "Pygopristis denticulata". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2024 e.T164537816A164537834. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2024-2.RLTS.T164537816A164537834.en. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
  2. Fricke, Ron; Eschmeyer, William N. & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Pygopristis". Catalog of Fishes. California Academy of Sciences. Retrieved 20 July 2025.
  3. Fink, William L. (1989-01-01). "Ontogeny and phylogeny of shape and diet in the South American fishes called piranhas". Geobios. Ontogenèse Et Évolution. 22: 167–172. Bibcode:1989Geobi..22..167F. doi:10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80017-8. ISSN 0016-6995.
  4. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Pygopristis denticulata". FishBase. July 2007 version.
  5. Kolmann, Matthew A.; Huie, Jonathan M.; Evans, Kory; Summers, Adam P. (January 2018). "Specialized specialists and the narrow niche fallacy: a tale of scale-feeding fishes". Royal Society Open Science. 5 (1) 171581. doi:10.1098/rsos.171581. ISSN 2054-5703. PMC 5792939. PMID 29410862.
  6. Machado-Allison, A.; W. Fink (1996). Los Peces Caribes de Venezuela. Diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. (Colección Monografías). Caracas: Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCV. ISBN 980-00-0967-1.
  7. Freeman, Barbie; Nico, Leo G.; Osentoski, Matthew; Jelks, Howard L.; Collins, Timothy M. (2007). "Molecular systematics of Serrasalmidae: Deciphering the identities of piranha species and unraveling their evolutionary histories" (PDF). Zootaxa. 1484: 1–38. doi:10.1046/j.1439-0469.2000.384132.x.