Speckled Piranha Care Guide
Serrasalmus spilopleura is a smaller South American piranha known for fin-biting behaviour and best kept as a solitary specimen.
Overview
Serrasalmus spilopleura is a smaller serrasalmid piranha from South America with an iridescent silver body. It is one of the few Serrasalmus that may be kept in a group in a spacious tank, but it is an unpredictable fin-biter and is most often maintained as a single specimen.
Taxonomy
- Family: Serrasalmidae
- Genus: Serrasalmus
- Scientific name: Serrasalmus spilopleura
- Order: Characiformes
Habitat
FishBase records the species from the Guaporé River basin and the Paraná River basin in Argentina. It is a tropical, benthopelagic freshwater fish living in acidic to neutral water.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 300 L
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 6.0-7.5
- GH: 4-18 °dGH
- Lifespan: 8-15 years
Diet
This is a carnivore. Juveniles take fins and scales of other fish, while adults shift toward larger meaty prey, with field studies noting that it removes pieces from whole prey. FishBase gives a trophic level around 3.2. In captivity it is fed meaty foods two times daily.
Compatibility
An aggressive, middle-water fish with an unpredictable temperament and a tendency to bite fins. It is safest housed alone; mixing with other fish is high-risk and should be avoided.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern, assessed December 2020.