# Please help ID this piranha



## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

This guy was labeled as "black spilo piranha" at my lfs. They said they got it in as part of a trade, but nobody was sure of what species he is. Can you guys help me out and let me know what he is?

Thanks!


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Serrasalmus spilopleura based on coloration IMO.


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## NegativeSpin (Aug 1, 2007)

sh*t thats a tough one. It has an almost concave head like a pygo and it's a serra. Even more concave than the typical spilo and a pretty bulky jaw.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

Looks like my spilo but smaller.


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## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

Cool, thanks for the responses... looks like I got a new spilo then.


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## Coldfire (Aug 20, 2003)

BioTeAcH said:


> Serrasalmus spilopleura based on coloration IMO.


Agreed ^^^


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## Trigga (Jul 1, 2006)

tsk tsk tsk...two mods look at this thread and not one moves it to the ID thread..









agree with bio though probably a spilo


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## BUBB$ (May 8, 2006)

Looks like my mac...


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## Ja'eh (Jan 8, 2007)

BUBB$ said:


> Looks like my mac...


X2 :nod:


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## rhomkeeper (Mar 31, 2008)

its maculatus......looks exactly like mine


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

looks like a ternetzi to me. IMO, the shape of the fish does not resemble a serra. A Mac has red eyes if I remember correct and a spilo has a clear edge behind the black band on the tail


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## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

chomp chomp said:


> looks like a ternetzi to me. IMO, the shape of the fish does not resemble a serra. A Mac has red eyes if I remember correct and a spilo has a clear edge behind the black band on the tail


The guy at my lfs said when they first got him, he killed 3 red bellies in 1 day, all of which were the same size or slightly larger. That's why he was in his own tank after that. If it were a ternetzi, it probably wouldn't have killed them all (from what I've read-I'm certainly no piranha expert). I guess all piranhas can act differently though.

I notice you are in Columbus... let me know if you ever plan on selling either of your rhoms.

I'm in Cincinnati.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

chomp chomp said:


> A Mac has red eyes if I remember correct and a spilo has a clear edge behind the black band on the tail


Most macs have clear eyes...a few variants have reddish. Spilos have reddish orange eyes and adults usually retain a mid-tail band. Both may have a clear edge behind the tail though depending on age, and pigment can appear to be at the edge for both. Without knowing the collection point, it is hard to say whether it is a mac variant or true spilo (and of course then there is the argument on whether maculatus is a valid species name at all). Regardless it is not a pygo of any sorts.


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## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

Here's a better pic... no flash on this one.


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## notaverage (Sep 10, 2005)

chomp chomp said:


> looks like a ternetzi to me. IMO, the shape of the fish does not resemble a serra. A Mac has red eyes if I remember correct and a spilo has a clear edge behind the black band on the tail


Not so true!

SPilo/Macs have Clear/yellow eyes.

I have had 2 Spilos and neither have had red int here eyes....slight orange tint maybe...but mostly yellow.

I would love to see RED eyes! I never had.

After that pic 110% Spilo/Mac


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

Which fish place is it in Cincy? Aquatics and Exotics?? I was in there once and they had one labeled the same way but it was a Rhom. I would say Spilo/Mac. Looks like a Serra to me.


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## rhomkeeper (Mar 31, 2008)

notaverage said:


> looks like a ternetzi to me. IMO, the shape of the fish does not resemble a serra. A Mac has red eyes if I remember correct and a spilo has a clear edge behind the black band on the tail


Not so true!

SPilo/Macs have Clear/yellow eyes.

I have had 2 Spilos and neither have had red int here eyes....slight orange tint maybe...but mostly yellow.

I would love to see RED eyes! I never had.

After that pic 110% Spilo/Mac
[/quote]
her is a spolio with red eyes, this is the only one i have ever seen


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

Mine has red eyes. I guess they would be called red?


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## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

cobrafox46 said:


> Which fish place is it in Cincy? Aquatics and Exotics?? I was in there once and they had one labeled the same way but it was a Rhom. I would say Spilo/Mac. Looks like a Serra to me.


Yep, it was Aquatics and Exotics. Do you know of any other good places for Ps in Cincy? House of Tropicals seems to only carry the red bellies these days.


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## cobrafox46 (Jun 2, 2008)

takedeepbreaths said:


> Which fish place is it in Cincy? Aquatics and Exotics?? I was in there once and they had one labeled the same way but it was a Rhom. I would say Spilo/Mac. Looks like a Serra to me.


Yep, it was Aquatics and Exotics. Do you know of any other good places for Ps in Cincy? House of Tropicals seems to only carry the red bellies these days.
[/quote]

No I do not. I was there once checking out their shark tank and saw they had one labeled black spilo piranha but it was really a rhom. I thought their prices were a little high.


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## Grosse Gurke (Jan 3, 2003)

The fish is S. maculatus. All the fish pictured are macs. The fish that were once labeled as spilos are now classified as S. maculatus. The true spilo has a redish tint...not yellow or gold. (If I remember correctly)

Oh...and they can have either a clear eye or redish eye...I have both variants.


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## Piranha Guru (Nov 24, 2005)

Grosse Gurke said:


> The fish is S. maculatus. All the fish pictured are macs. The fish that were once labeled as spilos are now classified as S. maculatus. The true spilo has a redish tint...not yellow or gold. (If I remember correctly)
> 
> Oh...and they can have either a clear eye or redish eye...I have both variants.


Without a known collection point, odds are that it is a mac with the coloration in the last picture...spilos collected from Rio Guapore are more a golden orange and those from the Araguaia basin are red according to Schleser.

It appears the first pic is tank lights out (probably for a while) with flash and the second is under bright tank lights...I don't think the full coloration of this fish has been accurately captured.


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## chomp chomp (Oct 28, 2003)

based on the last photo, I will say it is a spilo. the clear hayline tail fin and the clear eyes. also in the last pic you can more clearly see the concave skull.. more in line with a serra. The mac that I owned had, a black band all they way to the edge of the tail in conjunction with the red eyes.


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## takedeepbreaths (Jun 17, 2008)

Thanks for all the replies, I appreciate it.


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