PALOMETA PIRANHA
Pygocentrus palometa, nob.
Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1850
THE CITATION
Pygocentrus palometa (Valenciennes in Cuvier & Valenciennes 1850) but as a nomen dubium (= dubious name). No types known.
Le Pygocentre Palometa
Le Palometa du Rio Apure
a le corps large, comprimé latéralement; le dosarqué; la bouche extrêmement petite; les yeux très - grands; la dorsale, en forme de faux, opposée à ventrale; les pectorales et les ventrales très - petites; la queue forchue; le ventre transchant, dentelé ete scie. Après cette dentelure, étendue jusqu'aux deus tiers du corps, commence une longue nageoire anale. Les dents très - aiguës et tranchantes dans les deus mâchoires. Les éscailles petites et argentées; pas de tache.
TRANSLATION (APPROXIMATE)
Palometa of Rio Apure, the broad body, is laterally compressed dorsally; the extremely small mouth; eyes very - the dorsal incredibly large; opposed to ventral; the pectoral ones and ventral very the - small ones; the tail forked; the serrated belly, notched like a saw. After this serration, wide just with the third point of the body, a long anal fin starts. Teeth very - acute and sharp in the both jaws. Scales are small and silver plated.; No humeral spot.
FROM FRANK MAGALLANES - 18 May 2007
The species was described by Valenciennes, but no types were found by Dr. William L. Fink or Dr. Antonio Machado-Allison. The only reference is the paper. The few photos I have seen purported to be P. palometa are actually those of Pygocentrus nattereri. A species not even found in this fishes range. In my opinion might be pacu or Pristobrycon.
Palometa is a Spanish name applied in Venezuela, since the colony to fishes related to piranhas but in the genera Myleus, Mylossoma and Metynnis. Caribes, Guacaritos and pinches are applied to true piranhas included in the genera Serrasalmus, Pristobrycon and Pygocentrus. So the validity of that species is questionable.
DISTRIBUTION
Orinoco river basin, Venezuela.
ADVISOR
Dr. Antonio Machado-Allison, Universidad Central de Venezuela
REFERENCES
Cuvier, G. and A. Valenciennes 1850 (Jan.) Histoire naturelle des poissons. Tome vingt-deuxième. Suite du livre vingt-deuxième. Suite de la famille des Salmonoïdes. Table générale de l'Histoire Naturelle des Poissons (pp. 1-91). Hist. Nat. Poiss. v. 22: i-xx + 1 p. + 1-532 + 1-91, Pls. 634-650. [Valenciennes authored volume. Published as 1849. i-xvi + 1-395, index 1-81 (+ 1) in Strasbourg edition.]
Jégu in Reis, R. E., S. O. Kullander and C. J. Ferraris, Jr. 2003 Check list Freshwater Fishes South & Cent. Amer. 2003: i-xi + 1-729
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