Cyprinidae: Mylossoma Pluriventre Serrasalmus

Sunday, 22 July 2012

Mylossoma Pluriventre Serrasalmus

The term silver dollars is an artificial group defined by the body color, not by synapomorphies. The group is not evolutionarily correct and all silvers dollars are pacus, with the noted exception of Metynnis (see below; Patterns of Nucleotide Changes in Mitochondrial Ribosomal RNA Genes and Phylogeny of Piranhas 42: 169-182, Orti, et al. 1996). Most look similar to each other during ontogeny, but those within the same species might even look like an entirely different species as they mature. Some of the larger pacus (genus Piaractus and Colossoma also called tambaqui) are imported for the aquarium trade as vegetarian piranha which is a gross mistake not only in classification,the public into thinking they are piranhas. Unfortunately, these beast grow huge, some exceeding 600 mm SL.