# What Type Of Piranha Is This?



## Guest

A positive ID would be really helpful. Thanks in advance.
sorry for crumby pics.


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## Johnny_Zanni

S.Maculatus


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## BRUNER247

Don't look mac to me.


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## hastatus

Johnny_Zanni said:


> S.Maculatus


You are right.


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## Guest

Hastatus..... are you 100% sure it is a mac???


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## hastatus

c_granger21 said:


> Hastatus..... are you 100% sure it is a mac???


It fits the general description.


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## Piranha-Freak101

Why are the eyes soo red? I thought brazilian macs only had a tad of red in their eyes.. or like amberish color?


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## hastatus

Piranha-Freak101 said:


> Why are the eyes soo red? I thought brazilian macs only had a tad of red in their eyes.. or like amberish color?


Eye color is plastic and variable depending on geography and age of fish.


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## Piranha-Freak101

I see


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## hastatus

Piranha-Freak101 said:


> I see


Think of it this way. Eye color is just one issue. You can have red eye in one portion of the river and several hundred miles further it can be a lighter color or clear. That's what I mean by plastic. Not knowing where the fish was collected adds mystery. So one goes by the general description that fits.


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## memento

S.maculatus...

And eye color has confused me many times as well....


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## Piranha-Freak101

hastatus said:


> S.maculatus...
> 
> And eye color has confused me many times as well....


Learn one step at a time eh


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## memento

Piranha-Freak101 said:


> Learn one step at a time eh


Don't we all ?


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## Guest

when you say it fits the general description... I am a bit confused. Will a more certain ID be able to be made with time??


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## memento

c_granger21 said:


> when you say it fits the general description... I am a bit confused. Will a more certain ID be able to be made with time??


In piranhas, almost nothing is 100% certain









Keep in mind, that 9 out of 10 times people who answer an ID question just look at it, and speak out what it looks like in their eyes.
Having hastatus say it fits the description, is as much certanty as you can get... 'cause it's not just an assumption of what it looks like, but an opinion based on the actual species descriptions


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## Guest

hmmmm


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## memento

If I describe a strange noise in my car, lots of people can tell me what it could be, or what they believe it is









What you got however, was an opionion from somehow who checked the car to confirm his thought before speaking it out loud


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## Piranha-Freak101

Agreed^^ great example


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## hastatus

c_granger21 said:


> when you say it fits the general description... I am a bit confused. Will a more certain ID be able to be made with time??


The problem with S maculatus v S spilopleura is a huge one. To follow Jegu, your fish would have to be killed and examined to do a bone count. This is without knowing where it was collected. Then you would still get a near positive ID v a general description ID.


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## Guest

hast - the dilema I am running into is... the difference of the 2 species, not physical difference.... its the monetary difference I am fairly certain I got the wrong fish.


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## hastatus

c_granger21 said:


> hast - the dilema I am running into is... the difference of the 2 species, not physical difference.... its the monetary difference I am fairly certain I got the wrong fish.


Unfortunately that's out of my realm. I can only tell you what the fish is based on descriptions and photographs of wild caught, examined specimens and my experience (50+ years). S maculatus is polymorphic, meaning it has a varying body shape. I'm sorry for you. But that is the problem of the beast. S spilopleura is problematic as well.


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## Co. Caines

hastatus is probably right. but that fish looks a lot more like my s. spilo than my s. maculatus.


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## memento

Co. Caines said:


> hastatus is probably right. but that fish looks a lot more like my s. spilo than my s. maculatus.


Based on what, and what makes you 100% sure yours is a spilo ?
I sure as hell have strong difficulties in telling the difference between them and in all honesty, am not really convinced they are not the same species - but that's just my opinion on it.

@ c_granger : without knowing the collection point. it's pretty impossible to ID a spilo from a mac... Even a bonecount wouldn't give a 100% certainty for the description is mostly comparative like "wider then in S.spilopleura".


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## Co. Caines

The reason I say so is because my spilo n my Mac look like two different fish. I know they are @ two different stages of growth but the difference looks significant.

The spilo I have was once fisherman_canada spilo(1 out of 5) which he bought from Aquascape. But i am not certain in the fish identity.


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## hastatus

Co. Caines said:


> The reason I say so is because my spilo n my Mac look like two different fish. I know they are @ two different stages of growth but the difference looks significant.
> 
> The spilo I have was once fisherman_canada spilo(1 out of 5) which he bought from Aquascape. But i am not certain in the fish identity.


Aquascape is a reputable company and for the most part know where the fish is collected. Now having said that, unless you collect it from the river yourself there will be questions. As good as aquascape is as are most importers there are times from the export area where species collections are mixed up, usually in Lima, Peru where inspectors have been known to mix up bags of fish.

I think the answer to this ID has been overly answered and it won't be settled.


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## nicole

That fish is a Ruby Red Spilo. Pictures suck so its hard to tell, Post up some better Pics.
Pedro


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## memento

nicole said:


> That fish is a Ruby Red Spilo. Pictures suck so its hard to tell, Post up some better Pics.
> Pedro


Isn't a ruby red supposed to be red ?


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## Guest

here is the better picture requested hopefully we can clarify what type of fish this is.... even though most seem to already have a pretty good idea.


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## Genesis8

looks just like my RRS.


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## e46markus

RRS, lots of people on here have noticed them loosing their red.


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## Guest

Gen - Where and when did you get your RRS?

e46 - my fish never had any hint of red how is he already losing it???


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## memento

Still stick to my original ID


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## e46markus

In the 2nd pic you posted you can faintly see an orangie red near the bottom of the gill plate.


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## Genesis8

Got the RRS from Aquascape.[quote name='c_granger21' timestamp='1317608581' post='2762363']
Gen - Where and when did you get your RRS?


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## BRUNER247

Lol. Still don't look Mac to me.


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## Guest

when did you get your RRS from aquascape? what do you think it is bruner???


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## PeachSoda21

What fish were you trying to buy?(what did they say it was?)


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## PeachSoda21

Double post!


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## PeachSoda21

S.Maculatus - http://www.aquabase.org/member/album/pictures/2774CDE4F11C1B4B933ACB481BDC9756_full.jpg


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## Genesis8

I got him in the beginning of March of this year.


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