# Got A Deformed Natt. Lol. Anyone Else Ever Get A Deformed Piranha?



## David. (Mar 26, 2011)

I never owned a deformed Piranha but when I saw a Natt. at the fish store I just had to have him because he was so damn ugly it made him kinda cute. I actually just bought the entire group of 10 but the deformed guy caught my eye cause I really liked him.

It's hard to describe but I'll do my best and 1 day I'll get pic cause he is a hilarious looking little dude. The entire front of his face is like truck hit me flat and his lower jaw structure is actually curved up significantly so his overbite looks monstrophic compared to any other Natt's in my tank or I have ever seen personally. I mean his head and overbite are not just a little deformed his head and his big ass jaw are pretty significantly malformed. Almost like a comical cartoon version of a Natt where someone flattened the face and exaggerated the lower jaw.

The other 9 Natt's actually did turn on him and I had to pull him though. He's pretty much gonna be a loner now because the normal Natt's were going after him like he was food and they busted him up a bit but he should recover 100%. I got him out in time. I don't think they will ever accept him as one of them so I am gonna keep him solo in my room in his own tank now. I was suprised he made it to 2in like that in there with the others but that's was a far as he was gonna go.

I don't know how rare or un-common a deformed Piranha is but it's the only 1 I have had or seen myself anyway. Figure they probably happen but get eaten so you never know it. I mean he can swim fine and eat live food and everything the other fish just don't like him and started beating up on him 1 day. So now I wound up with 2 piranha tanks when I only wanted 1 I guess. He is funny looking enough to warrant the extra tank though. I can't replace him for sure, lol.


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## bob351 (Oct 23, 2005)

nice job on keeping the "different" red... most people would let em get eaten or just leave im in the store... should make for quite an interesting solo... maybe you could keep some smaller tropical fish with him when he gets larger


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## rafael707 (Apr 4, 2011)

hahaha I wanna see this funny p, take a pic plz lol


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## Mr. Hannibal (Feb 21, 2003)

It's nice you separate him, keep it that way... you should read this: http://www.opefe.com/oddities_in_pygocentrus.html


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

David. said:


> I never owned a deformed Piranha but when I saw a Natt. at the fish store I just had to have him because he was so damn ugly it made him kinda cute. I actually just bought the entire group of 10 but the deformed guy caught my eye cause I really liked him.
> 
> It's hard to describe but I'll do my best and 1 day I'll get pic cause he is a hilarious looking little dude. The entire front of his face is like truck hit me flat and his lower jaw structure is actually curved up significantly so his overbite looks monstrophic compared to any other Natt's in my tank or I have ever seen personally. I mean his head and overbite are not just a little deformed his head and his big ass jaw are pretty significantly malformed. Almost like a comical cartoon version of a Natt where someone flattened the face and exaggerated the lower jaw.
> 
> ...


I wrote an entire article at opefe under P nattereri that discusses these little guys. They don't live long 5 years in my experience. Keep it in its own tank ir it will be eaten. Hope you keep it alive for longer than I've been able to.


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

There's a thread in breeding section that has a few oddballs in it. Like double mouth, longfinned n deformed & light colored piranha.


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## MFNRyan (Mar 27, 2011)

Well think about it, this is another case where if he was in the wild he would have been eaten I'm sure. So you have saved this fish and made a good life for him. This case the aquarium is much better then what he could have had. Especially since you have him, he will get the best care possible! I can't wait to see a picture of him lol


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## David. (Mar 26, 2011)

He is staying alone. His own kind wont accept him and it's a Red Belly Piranha so where does that leave him? There is no other place for him but alone.

I bailed out a Natt someone left in a small tank for many years and his body got very tall and thick and his gills curved out and that was from poor treatment. He wasn't deformed but his body did not grow right.

I put him in with much smaller Natt's and they destroyed him. They went after him with so much aggression he was in pieces by the time I got from the couch to the tank. The only Natt that group ever did that too. For whatever reason they did not like him and I suspect any group of Natt's would of killed him and would this little deformed guy I have now as well. I kinda had a feeling these guys would turn on this one after that disaster and they did.

Interesting to see they do not live long. Was kinda hoping he would be here awhile but it won't suprise me if he dies early. His jaw structure works but it is defintely not what it is supposed to be by any means. Defintely will get some pics up when he gets the rest of his tail back and I at least get him some gravel, lol. I just slapped him in an emergency get him out of there 10g with no gravel and books for a top yesterday. His crib is embarassing right now but he is alive and in 1 piece.

His growth rate looked okay when he was in a local pet shop not getting spoiled. He was a little smaller but barely. In my much bigger tank with tons of food he got dwarfed within weeks though. He is defintely the smallest and even the other runt buddy he had in there is not his size anymore.


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## David. (Mar 26, 2011)

Sorry to reply again but I just read that article. That was crazy! That first red belly looked like it had giant goldfish fins. The second one was just a mess.

Mine looked closest to the eaten up one in the last picture. Right now he is much smaller than that but his head and jaw might even be more messed up that that ones was. I won't really find out if is gets better or worse with time but the last fish did appear to have a similiar defomity anyway. If it gets better he will look like that one if it stays the same or gets worse it will look worse than that fish cause right now his jaw sticks out more and even more curved than that last fish's was.


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## Piranha-Freak101 (Dec 8, 2010)

i had one with a messed up eye ... that preey much it


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## mantis (May 16, 2003)

raised him from fry. didnt last long


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

The long finned fish is actually a tern not a rbp. & nothing wrong with not having gravel man. No gravel means easier cleanup, & better water quality.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

mantis said:


> raised him from fry. didnt last long


How long did it live for you?


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## BRUNER247 (Jun 2, 2010)

mantis said:


> raised him from fry. didnt last long


He had some good color on him.


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## Guest (Jun 7, 2011)

mantis said:


> raised him from fry. didnt last long


Durp


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## Smoke (Sep 8, 2010)

mantis said:


> raised him from fry. didnt last long


Wow he mustve gobbled food down!


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## David. (Mar 26, 2011)

mantis said:


> raised him from fry. didnt last long


The fish Mantis posted is him. It's like looking at his identical twin. I hope he lasts longer than that fish did but that is almost exactly what my piranha looks like right now.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

http://www.angelfire.com/biz/piranha038/images/snubnoEaten.jpg

Above is similar fish and what can happen


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Not much of a deformity.....
Only piranha I've owned to have this.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Lifer374 said:


> Not much of a deformity.....
> Only piranha I've owned to have this.


That's not a deformity. Quite common with wild fish. Some like S manueli have beautiful extending filaments. Most are damaged in transit or when caught by hook. Consider yourself lucky to have one undamaged.


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## Lifer374 (Dec 5, 2003)

Weird though Frank....I've owned this Rhom for just under four years now and if I remember correctly it didn't start developing until a year ago.

I guess that it would make sense that this type of physical trait wouldn't start to show until the the fish starts reaching maturity. (?) 
There might also be the possibilty that it was there all along while the fish was a juvinile but it was nowhere near as pronounced and "sharp".

And I'm with you 100%. I do concider myself lucky.


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## hastatus (Jan 16, 2003)

Lifer374 said:


> Weird though Frank....I've owned this Rhom for just under four years now and if I remember correctly it didn't start developing until a year ago.
> 
> I guess that it would make sense that this type of physical trait wouldn't start to show until the the fish starts reaching maturity. (?)
> There might also be the possibilty that it was there all along while the fish was a juvinile but it was nowhere near as pronounced and "sharp".
> ...


I have photos of P nattereri showing same traits. It sometimes goes unnoticed or if the fish is repeatedly bit on the tail permanent damage occurs and you won't see it mature.


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