Pygocentrus is a genus of freshwater ray-finned fishes belonging to the family Serrasalmidae, which includes the pacus, piranhas and related fishes. All species are native to tropical and subtropical South America. All the species are predatory, scavengers and may form large schools. The famous red-bellied piranha, Pygocentrus nattereri, is one of four species in the genus.
Species These are the currently recognized species in this genus:
Pygocentrus cariba (Humboldt, 1821) (black spot piranha) Pygocentrus nattereri Kner, 1858 (red piranha, red-bellied piranha) Pygocentrus piraya (G. Cuvier, 1819) (San Francisco piranha)
Pygocentrus palometa Valenciennes, 1850 is regarded as a nomen dubium.
References
Machado-Allison, A. & W. Fink. 1996. Los peces caribes de Venezuela> diagnosis, claves, aspectos ecológicos y evolutivos. Universidad Central de Venezuela, CDCH, (Colección Monografías) Caracas, 149p. Reis, R. E., S. O. Kullander and C. J. Ferraris, Jr., editors (2003). Check list of the freshwater fishes of South and Central America. CLOFFSCA. EDIPUCRS, Porto Alegre. 2003: i-xi + 1-729