# Gold Piranha Differances



## banshee42096

okay i know its been asked before but i cant find it what is the differance between the 2 species of gold piranhas or is it even noticable?if someone has pictures of both that would help?


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## balluupnetme

I'm not sure but this is just my what I know but I may be wrong, to the best of my knowledge the Serra maculatus is native only to Argentina and these usually have clear eyes and the spilos get red eyes and they're from brazil, I've heard macs are more aggressive but may be wrong, I'll take a Mac over a spilo but that's just a personal preference, hopefully some other members will chime in because they are more knowledgeable on the subject


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## Sacrifice

I'm waiting myself. I used to think that there was a visible difference but I've since changed my opinion until I get some good photos of each.

A few months back I thought that the Spilos tended to be thinner and more of an even round disk shape and that the Macs had more of a bulldog look like a pygo. I also thought that the spilos tended to be a little pailer in color while the macs were a deep dark gold/yellow color. Not sure though.


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## Grosse Gurke

Spilopleura isnt gold. There are two variants of S. maculatus....the one from Argentina gets larger and has a clear eye (mine is about 11")...the other is smaller (max out around 8") and has a redish eye. The larger one looks more rhombues....the smaller ones are more compressed.

Here is a picture of mine...I am sure someone has a picture of the smaller variant...they are the ones being bred on the site.


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## shaneb

Here is mine at 5.5 - 6 inches... Looks to have clear eyes. I hope it gets as big as GG's


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## Johnny_Zanni

Mac








Spilo


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## CLUSTER ONE

banshee42096 said:


> okay i know its been asked before but i cant find it what is the differance between the 2 species of gold piranhas or is it even noticable?if someone has pictures of both that would help?


 What do you mean by the two "species"? Are you refering to the 2 varients (they may be abit different but are still the same species) of macs that vary like gg is saying or are you talking about spilo vs mac? Spilos and macs used to be thought to be pretty much the same but now spilo is a red ruby spilo and maculatus is the cold piranha. JZ`s pics illistrate the differecne between macs and spilos.


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## Sacrifice

Wow, apparently I'm still living in the days of when we called mac and spilos the same thing







That's cool I didn't know the the RRS are really the only Spilos.

Oh and BTW that is one GORGEOUS RRS up there in that pic.


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## CLUSTER ONE

Sacrifice said:


> Wow, apparently I'm still living in the days of when we called mac and spilos the same thing
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> That's cool I didn't know the the RRS are really the only Spilos.
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> Oh and BTW that is one GORGEOUS RRS up there in that pic.


When I joined this site mac was considered pretty much the same as a spilo as there were no RRS around. When a mac appeared for ID most would refer to it as a spilo. Now RRS is considered the true spilo while macs continue to be golden p's


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## banshee42096

i was talking the 2 varients of macs mine are just about a year in age the biggest being 7-8 inches and the others 4-5inches and thats low balling them they all have the clear eye with black center.i went to someones house to buy a gold piranha and when i got there it was a rrs it looked great but i did not buy it he was not happy when i told him it was not a gold piranha.


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## banshee42096

alright now staring at my golds they look like gg picture but now the biggest eye color changed its now a orangish with a blk center through it now im real confused?dam it most have something to do with light because i woke up this morning and turned the light on and it has zero orange in its eye now i will have to check when i get home to see if its got it.and no im not on drugs or drinking.lol.


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## BRUNER247

They might lose the amber eye color at night. Lots of fish lose some color at night. & the amber eyes in macs is barely noticeable anyhow.


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## banshee42096

bruner im gonna have to get this picture taking thing down pat the orange is clear as day its not mistakable very bright.


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## kove32

I would hate to be that small piranha near that RRS's mouth...


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## BRUNER247

banshee42096 said:


> bruner im gonna have to get this picture taking thing down pat the orange is clear as day its not mistakable very bright.


I'm not doubting ya. Half or more of mine have amber eyes also.

Hell bout 3/4 of pics I take of my blk rhom it looks like he has clear eyes when they're actually very bright red.


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## Piranha-Freak101

i want my mac to have amber eyes!! mine was from aquascape and last time i measured him he was exactly 2". i wish i knew where pedro got them from


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## Dolphinswin

piranha-freak101 said:


> i want my mac to have amber eyes!! mine was from aquascape and last time i measured him he was exactly 2". i wish i knew where pedro got them from


If its eyes dont stay clear it would mean its from brazil and maxes usually at 8". I'd much rather have an argentina mac that gets larger.


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## dcp5082

My 5" mac's eyes are neither red nor clear. I suppose more clear, but they look somewhat goldish like his body. He is about a year old, I have no clue where he is from, I adopted. I will post a pic, but how long does it take for the red eyes to appear?


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## BRUNER247

I'd say more amber/orange color than red. Should have eye color at year old imo. I don't agree with the whole eye color thing in macs. Part of mine have amber & part have clear.


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## dcp5082

here are some pics. sry for bluriness. 12 mp camera and still blury pics, idk why.



















what do you guys think? big or small mac?


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## banshee42096

i agree bruner the 4 i have 3 are the same age and the biggest is the only one with the orangish eyes the othe 2 nothing clear and the 1 i added is clear also.and i will say the bigger one is well over 7inches now and just over a year old.so i will bet that this one will be well over 8inches very easy and it has the orangish eyes.so i cant see it being the smaller golds from agentina.mine has the color of the top picture of john zanni but bigger.


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## Piranha-Freak101

Dolphinswin said:


> i want my mac to have amber eyes!! mine was from aquascape and last time i measured him he was exactly 2". i wish i knew where pedro got them from


If its eyes dont stay clear it would mean its from brazil and maxes usually at 8". I'd much rather have an argentina mac that gets larger.
[/quote]

i want him to stay small LOL!

i dont like having a bunch of HUGE tanks around the house


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## Johnny_Zanni

piranha-freak101 said:


> i want my mac to have amber eyes!! mine was from aquascape and last time i measured him he was exactly 2". i wish i knew where pedro got them from


If its eyes dont stay clear it would mean its from brazil and maxes usually at 8". I'd much rather have an argentina mac that gets larger.
[/quote]

i want him to stay small LOL!

i dont like having a bunch of HUGE tanks around the house
[/quote]

You have a huge tank now?


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