Scientific name:
Serrasalmidae

Natural spread:
South America

the notorious Piranhas belongs into this fish-family, that primarily populates the Amazon-area in South America. All Sägesalmler have a high-re-y, disk-shaped body with powerful back-fin and an usually showy dorsal fin. The anus-fin is very wide whereas the stomach-fin is trained weakly. The tail fluke is only little bifurcate. Namengebend for the whole family is the gekielte stomach, that is saw-nicely busy with sharp shed-rows.

The Bezahnung is very dense and fine with the herbivorous forms, while strengthens the predatory types (Piranhas) and razor-sharp dentures carry.

System Beside the subfamily of the Piranhas (Serrasalminae) and the subfamily of the Scheibensalmler (Myleinae), the Wimpelpiranhas (Catoprioninae) still belong into this family.

Wimpelpiranhas (subfamily Catoprioninae)) The shed-robber or Wimpelpiranha (Catoprion mento, until 14 cm) from Guyana and the Amazon, the single representative of its subfamily is. The first ray of the back-fin is extended showy, which clearly this fish from all others saw-salmon-educational distinguishes. The Wimpelpiranha is quite peaceful in the comparison to the real Piranhas and attacks at most small fish. However, it eats also sheds of bigger fish, that it approaches quickly, for them sheds pulls out and vanishes again.