O.K., piranha have possess those teeth that make them a trademark...With such affective teeth already, does the species still possess pharyngeal teeth in the back???
Pharyngeal Teeth
- Thread starter importracer
- Start date
If U mean crushing teeth, no. I read an artical from a Florida prohibited species as to how they will identify a Piranah if 1 is a suspect. The artical said to chech the teeth. If all are sharp, it's the real McCoy.
Ahhhh Found it!!!!!!
Subfamily Serrasalminae (including Serrasalmus spp., Pygocentrus spp., Pygopristis spp., Rooseveltiella spp.)
Common Names - Piranhas and pirambebas, caribe, cariba
Description - Deep laterally compressed bodies are generally silvery or golden in color, with a short adipose fin, jaws with a single row of sharp tricuspid sheering teeth and no molars. Other characids look somewhat similar but can be distinguished primarily by the dentition. Pacus (Colossoma spp.), and silver dollars (Metynnis spp.) as well as Myleus spp. and Mylossoma spp. have molar-like teeth used for crushing food. In telling Piranhas from Metynnis and other silver dollars, the angle of the jaw is a pretty good characteristic for sorting them...forward jutting lower jaw that forms a V at the angle is a piranha, even upper and lower jaw profile that forms a U at the angle of the jaw is not a piranha.
Subfamily Serrasalminae (including Serrasalmus spp., Pygocentrus spp., Pygopristis spp., Rooseveltiella spp.)
Common Names - Piranhas and pirambebas, caribe, cariba
Description - Deep laterally compressed bodies are generally silvery or golden in color, with a short adipose fin, jaws with a single row of sharp tricuspid sheering teeth and no molars. Other characids look somewhat similar but can be distinguished primarily by the dentition. Pacus (Colossoma spp.), and silver dollars (Metynnis spp.) as well as Myleus spp. and Mylossoma spp. have molar-like teeth used for crushing food. In telling Piranhas from Metynnis and other silver dollars, the angle of the jaw is a pretty good characteristic for sorting them...forward jutting lower jaw that forms a V at the angle is a piranha, even upper and lower jaw profile that forms a U at the angle of the jaw is not a piranha.
Thanks Ummm...
But, I was thinking more in the lines of the teeth found along the gill plates...These teeth are no wheres found on the lips, but behind the mouth...I may be wrong with my desription, but I think I'm right...I remember reading an old "how to keep fancy goldfish" book....It mentioned that fish have grinders sorta along their inner gill plates...So do the p's have two set of teeth, one(set) on the lip and one on the back like most fish....
But, I was thinking more in the lines of the teeth found along the gill plates...These teeth are no wheres found on the lips, but behind the mouth...I may be wrong with my desription, but I think I'm right...I remember reading an old "how to keep fancy goldfish" book....It mentioned that fish have grinders sorta along their inner gill plates...So do the p's have two set of teeth, one(set) on the lip and one on the back like most fish....
importracer;526860; said:
the only other piranha that have an extra row of teeth are serrasalmus they have an extra row of teeth behind the front teeth.
pygocentrus do not have these and depending on the species they have different numbers of these teeth.
I've looked all around & found a hint here & there that P's have them as most fish do. I think I know what your talking about . Front teeth bite a chunk of the flesh & the "Grinders" help to soften the "Chunk" as it is swallowed. Very good trivia question... I always try to find out as much as possible about the fish I keep. I have a 125g with 4 rbp's & KNOW FULL WELL that is ALL that will ever go into the tank cause sooner or later the s*** will hit the fan if some other tresspasser fish is introduced. I don't need the drama...I wonder if I can get "Scarlett", "Hog", "Red" or "Fink" to let me look???? I'm gonna keep looking.... Ummm