Additionally, full-grown pacu are much larger than piranha. In a general sense, piranha have pointed, razor-sharp teeth in a pronounced underbite, whereas pacu have square, straight teeth in a less severe underbite, or a slight overbite (Lucariello 2006). Pacu and piranha are distinguished from each other by their teeth and jaw alignments. The related pacus are mainly herbivores, but will also eat small fish, crabs, insects, and meat on fishing lures. Ultimately, classifications can be rather arbitrary (Magallanes 2006). This reassignment has yet to enjoy universal acceptance, but is gaining in popularity among taxonomists working with these fishes. While the larger piranhas, pacus, and silver dollars have historically been placed in this family, some authorities now place them in their own related family, the Serrasalmidae (Freeman et al. However, this Characidae family has undergone much taxonomic revision. The characins are distinguished from other fish by the presence of a small adipose fin between the dorsal fin and caudal fin, although the adipose fin is not always present in every species. As characiformes, they are characterized by well developed teeth (most are carnivores) and the presence of a pelvic fin (with five to twelve rays) and normally an adipose fin, and a body that is almost always scaled (Nelson 1994). Known as characins, members of this family are found in Central and South America, southern North America, and Africa. Characidae is a large and diverse family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the Order Characiformes. Traditionally, piranhas, pacus, and silver dollars comprised the Serrasalminae subfamily of the Characidae family (Nelson 1994). For humans, piranhas are consumed as a food fish and sometimes kept as aquarium pets. Beyond this, they have important ecological roles in food chains, preying upon fish, while being consumed by larger fish, birds, caimans, and mammals such as river otters. Nonetheless, the unique form and behavior of piranhas add to the wonder of nature for people. For most people, the greatest danger from their teeth is when trying to remove one from a fishing hook. Local children swim in South American rivers inhabited by piranha. While piranhas tend to be voraciously feeding, schooling fish, their reputation as a threat to human beings or their livestock generally is largely overstated. Some species appear to be omnivorous, consuming some vegetable matter at some stage in their lives. In Venezuelan rivers, piranhas are called caribes. However, some recent taxonomies place these three groups in their own family, the Serrasalmidae. Traditionally, piranhas have been classified together with the pacus and silver dollars (Metynnis sp.) in the Serrasalminae subfamily of the characin family ( Characidae) (Nelson 1994). Piranha, or piraƱa, is the common name for various South American, freshwater, tropical fish of the order Charciformes known for their pointed, razor-sharp teeth in a pronounced underbite and an aggressive appetite for meat and flesh.
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