Serrasalmus nigricans

Agassiz (in Spix and Agassiz, 1829)

No photo, no examples known.

 

FROM FRANK MAGALLANES

 

Messr. Jégu considers this species (Jégu in Reis et al. 2003) valid as Serrasalmus nigricans. There are no types known. There are some serious problems with this species based on Fink 1993. 

 

In my opinion, hobbyist/collectors are cautioned against using this scientific name on their fish if it comes from the locality mentioned below. Photos seen in some published hobbyist books purported to be S. nigricans are those of Pygocentrus nattereri.

 

Representative photo of S. spilopleura as Adult.

Example of what S. nigicans might look like according to the description.

 

CITATION REVIEW:  Dr. William L. Fink, UMMZ

 

INTRODUCTION

 

Pygocentrus nigricans, from "Equatorial Brazil," described by Agassiz (in Spix and Agassiz, 1829) as a Serrasalmo. This is indeed a Serrasalmus, the Amazonian form equivalent to Serrasalmus spilopleura in the south of Brazil, as the original plate (XXX) clearly shows. The name nigricans was used by Müller and Troschel (1845) in a new combination (their new genus Pygocentrus). The specimen they considered to be nigricans is actually P. nattereri and is held in the Berlin Museum (ZMB 3630). Müller and Troschel gave no evidence that the specimen they examined was the type of Agassiz's nigricans, and the specimen has dorsal-and anal-fin counts slightly different from those reported by Agassiz. In addition to the evidence of its identity from the well-done figure, as noted above, the description of live color in nigricans accurately describes the breeding adult of the Amazonian Serrasalmus, mitigating against placement of this species in Pygocentrus.

 

DISTRIBUTION

 

Amazon river basin, Brazil

 

REFERENCES 

  • Fink, W. L.   1993 (18 Aug.), Revision of the piranha genus Pygocentrus (Teleostei, Characiformes). Copeia 1993 (no. 3): 665-687.

  • Spix, J. B. von and L. Agassiz   1829-31 Selecta genera et species piscium quos in itinere per Brasiliam annos MDCCCXVII-MDCCCXX jussu et auspiciis Maximiliani Josephi I.... colleget et pingendso curavit Dr J. B. de Spix.... Monachii. Selecta Piscium Brasiliam: Part 1: i-xvi + i-ii + 1-82, Pls. 1-48;, Part 2: 83-138, Pls. 49-101. [Part 1 published June 1829, part 2 Jan. 1831; see Kottelat 1988 [ref. 13380], Whitehead & Myers 1971, Pethiygoda & Kottelat 1998.

  • Reis, R. E., S. O. Kullander and C. J. Ferraris, Jr.   2003  Check list of the freshwater fishes of South and Central America. Check list Freshw. Fishes South & Cent. Amer. 2003: i-xi + 1-72.

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UPDATED: 07/09/2009