View Full Version : Piranah or Pacu?
amerpatrt
02-16-2005, 12:10 AM
I purchased a 'pacu' from WMart right around New Year's day. He grew by leaps and bounds in just these few weeks- something that you guys have described as normal for a pacu. But since I noticed a full set of choppers (teeth), and the recent disappearance of a CAE, I started to think he might be a piranah, so I did an internet search on red belly piranah and my 'pacu' looks just like the red belly piranah in the pictures. Is there a close relation of the Pacu to the piranah? Are they almost identical in phenotype? Please help-my husband swears that he knew all along that this was a piranah, not a pacu. :eek:
jonathan03
02-16-2005, 12:34 AM
They look very similar and are sometimes misold. Look on google for some picutres or post a pic of your fish. There isn't much we can say without a pic.
Generally, the body of a pacu is slightly different than piranha. Also, pacu don't have teeth. They are vegetarians mostly.
StreetCypher
02-16-2005, 12:38 AM
Also, pacu don't have teeth
Actually, Pacu have gigantic chompers
StreetCypher
02-16-2005, 12:44 AM
Check out Mojos
http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=30879&highlight=pacu
blitzen25bm
02-16-2005, 1:08 AM
its a pacu. and will get huge, too bad they are pretty wussy. still very impressive though especially when they get around 2 feet the ones bigger than that are just monsters.
adgolde
02-16-2005, 5:32 AM
i actually just took back 2 pacus i bought from my LFS yesterday, they look identical to the piranah, the pacu is actually the piranahs cousin, i have read about this stuff. theyre basically the same fish, except the pacu is vegetarian. If you post a pic, i and or we could tell you what it is. try to post a pic and ill get back to you.
Debra Mark
02-16-2005, 4:45 PM
[QUOTE=adgolde]except the pacu is vegetarian. QUOTE]
Actually, they are omnivorous. Our Pacus eat anything from beef heart to watermelon to Milk Bones.... :)
labont865
02-16-2005, 5:25 PM
Yes Pacus are basically a big omnivorous Piranha. They both belong to the same family. What you have got is probably a Pacu.
Mojos Pacu is wicked!
SnakeIce
02-16-2005, 8:19 PM
the one difference between the various piranhas and the less carnivorus species is the size of the gill plates. the pacus and other omnivores have a gill cover that is about the width of thier eye out from the edge of the eye.
but the piranhas have a much wider gill cover comparied to the size of thier eyes.
the omnivores don't need large gills to chase down fruit and such.