Fish with human teeth. Unusual fish of the world - photo. Piranha pacu: predatory fish in an aquarium What is the name of a fish with human teeth

Black pacu (lat. Colossoma macropomum), which is also called the herbivorous piranha pacu or tambakui, is a fish of the genus haracin, that is, its counterparts are neon and tetra. But the coincidence ends with the name of the genus.

The black pacu is the largest characin living in South America and does not resemble its small counterparts in any way.

Pacu fish reach up to 108 cm in length and weigh about 27 kg, which is impressive. However, still more often they are about 70 cm, but this is prohibitive for an amateur aquarium. No wonder it is also called a giant pacu.

Habitat in nature

Black pacu (also called brown pacu), also known locally as tambakui, was first described by Cuvier in 1816. We live throughout the Amazon and Orinoco basins in South America.

Also called pacu, giant pacu, tambakui, gamitana and kachama.

Video about a natural reservoir in Brazil, at the end of the video underwater footage, including a flock of pacu

In 1994, they were brought to Guinea as a commercial fish, in the Sepik and Rama rivers. Also widely distributed throughout South America, including Peru, Bolivia, Colombia, Brazil, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Honduras. And North - USA.

Loners, they feed on insects, snails, decaying plants and small fish.

Adult fish swim in the flooded forests during the rainy season and eat fruits and cereals.

The commentator says that they eat fruits that have fallen into the water, which are in abundance there.

Description

The black pacu can grow up to 106 cm and weigh up to 30 kg and live up to 25 years. The body is laterally compressed, the color of the body is from gray to black, sometimes with spots on the body. Fins are black.

Very often, black pacu are confused with piranhas while they are small. Juveniles are very similar, but black pacu are rounder and broader than piranhas.

The easiest way to determine by the lower jaw, in piranhas, it protrudes forward.

Difficulty in content

They are very large fish and are best kept in commercial aquariums as not many can afford them at home. Although she is very unpretentious and simple.

Not too demanding on water parameters, as long as they are not extreme, as well as in feeding.

Black pacu is an interesting, very unpretentious fish in keeping and feeding, which even has its own personality. Sounds like the perfect aquarium fish, right?

But the biggest problem in keeping is that the black pacu grows quickly and huge, even very large aquariums it quickly outgrows.

The problem is that often negligent sellers endure them very small under the guise of piranhas. Although these fish are very similar, the pacu is less aggressive and less predatory.

However, it does not negate the fact that a black pacu will swallow any small fish in an aquarium without hesitation.

Black pacu is definitely not a fish for everyone. To keep one, you need 1000 liters for juveniles, and about 2000 for adult fish. For such an aquarium you need very thick glass, because in a fright, a black pacu can break it.

In warm climates, black pacu is sometimes kept in ponds, but because of the dark color, it does not look very good there.

If you are not afraid of the volumes required for this fish, then otherwise it is not difficult to keep it.

Feeding

What to feed pacu? Black pacu are omnivores, and in nature they eat fruits, cereals, insects, snails, invertebrates, and carrion. The aquarium will eat both artificial and live food.

Everything will suit him - snails, worms, bloodworms, fruits, vegetables. And small fish, so keeping with those that the pacu can swallow is definitely not worth it.

The main requirement is a very large aquarium, for adults from 2 tons. If you can afford one, then the difficulties end there.

They are completely undemanding, resistant to disease, eat everything. The only thing is that you need very powerful filtration, since there is a lot of dirt from them.

They live in the middle layers of the water and they need free space for swimming.

The best decorations are snags and large stones, plants can not be planted at all, they are food for black pacu.

A little shy, a sharp movement and they have a panic, throwing around the aquarium and hitting objects and glass ...

Compatibility

Adults are solitary but non-aggressive. Juveniles are more cocky. Adults will eat any small fish that they can swallow, nothing threatens large fish.

It is best to keep alone or with the same large fish.

Sex differences

The male's dorsal fin is sharper, the anal fin has spikes, and is brighter colored than the female.

Breeding

The black pacu is not bred in an aquarium because of its size.

All specimens for sale are bred in ponds and on farms.

Loved by many lovers Pacu aquarium fish is a real exotic. By mistake, this beauty from South America is considered one of the bloodthirsty fish. And the reason for this is its belonging to a wide subfamily of Piranha fish, about which real legends are formed. Actually it is not. Of all the known species of this subfamily, only 43% are aggressive predators. The remaining 57% can be safely called semi-predators, who feed mainly on plant foods.

It is to vegetarians that our Pacu fish, which first came to our continent more than 200 years ago. In domestic aquariums, it appeared at the end of the last century and in a short time managed to become a real favorite of aquarists. The natural habitat of this species is the Amazon River Delta and adjacent reservoirs. Due to its rather large size and rapid growth, the fish is considered commercial.

Description and types of Paku fish

The most widespread among aquarists are only a few species of these fish:

• Red Pacu (Piaractus Brachypomus) or two-toothed colossom;
• Brown Pacu; (Colossoma macropomum).

Fish red Pacu photo, which can be viewed on this page, has a flat body, painted in a characteristic color scheme. Almost its entire surface is covered with scales of a silvery hue. Only the pectoral fins and abdomen with anal fin are red. The caudal fin of the fish is edged with a dark stripe.

Inhabited in the natural environment (Amazon and Orinoco rivers), red pacu fish can reach a length of up to 1 meter. At the same time, the weight of one such adult can reach up to 25 kilograms. Under conditions of aquarium maintenance, the fish grow up to 40-60 cm in length. Which requires the appropriate volume of the aquarium.

Brown Pacu the shape of the body is not much different from the red. It is also compressed on the sides and has an impressive height. But his color, as you already understood from the name of the species, is completely different. In different variations, it can be from black to silver-gray. At the same time, the abdomen and pectoral fins in adults have a brownish-bronze tint.

By its size, Pacu is a brown-colored large fish. In terms of length and body weight, it exceeds its red relative by one and a half times. Anglers in the Amazon have been able to catch individuals that have a length of more than one meter. And their weight reached 40 kilograms. However, as the practice of home maintenance shows, representatives of this species do not grow more than 60 centimeters in an aquarium.

Choosing an aquarium for Pacu fish

If you are going to purchase one or another type of Pacu, it is very important not to miss the size of the fish tank. Criteria such as:

• Rapid growth of fish;
• Lifestyle.

As we mentioned above, individuals of this species grow very quickly. In just three months, young Pacu fish, 3-4 centimeters in size, grow to 28 centimeter giants. And their growth doesn't stop there. By the age of one year, they gain up to 4 kg in weight and reach and increase in their linear dimensions up to 40 cm. Thus, for a comfortable maintenance of one individual, at least 100 liters will be required.

By your way of life Red Pacu, however, like Brown, refers to schooling fish. Even if we take 4 representatives of the subfamily, then the minimum volume for an aquarium will be from 400 liters. But for their more comfortable maintenance, a reservoir of 700 liters or more will be required.

When the volume of the aquarium is chosen by the number of fish, it's time to clarify the situation with its dimensions. Due to the large size of Pacu fish and their rapid growth, it does not make sense to take short containers. The optimal length, from which you need to build on the selection in this case, will be an aquarium from 1.2 meters. Width also plays a significant role. Fish need room to roam freely. Therefore, the width should be at least 60-70 centimeters. The height of the home pond should not be less than 60 cm.

As we mentioned above, the maintenance of one individual Paku requires a minimum of 1 cubic meter of water. In this case, it is very important to observe the following parameters:

• Comfortable temperature - 22 o C28 o C;
• Hardness range - 5 about 20 about;
• The acidity index of the pH medium is 6-7 units.

But even this is not quite enough. The fish will need to be provided, for which they install an internal and external filter. A prerequisite for comfortable keeping pacu fish in the aquarium is the presence of an aerator that saturates the water with oxygen. And, of course, you need to do weekly water changes for 1/3 of the total volume of the aquarium.

The bottom of the aquarium is best lined with coarse gravel. The presence of a small one will cause certain difficulties in caring for pets. It is very difficult to clean it from the waste products of fish.

Pacu fish care the videos that we invite you to watch involve landing and a small amount of vegetation. It should not be much, because it will be eaten anyway. It is better to replace the main part of the vegetation with artificial plants. This will create a more comfortable atmosphere for large-sized vehicles. And in order for the fish to feel protected, decorative caves and grottoes can be placed in the aquarium, allowing them to hide in them.

Pacu fish feeding

Red and Brown Pacu have a great appetite, so feeding them should be regular and not excessive. It is fashionable to give plant foods as food for fish. As amateurs note, piranha pets willingly absorb chopped lettuce, dandelions, cabbage. They also love to eat fruits.

In addition to plant foods, live foods can also be given. Here it is appropriate to give fish, tubifex, earthworms. pacu teeth allow fish and meat to cope. Some aquarists practice feeding minced meat. However, food of animal origin should not be abused. It is best used as an occasional supplement to plant foods. If you give meat on a regular basis, then the fish may show aggressive behavior.

Breeding in a home aquarium

Pacu fish reach sexual maturity at the age of one to two years. However, at home, these fish breed with difficulty. It is very difficult to find any useful and specific information on this subject. Here is what we managed to find out from experienced aquarists.

The breeding of piranha fish of the Paku species must be approached thoroughly. Here it is very important to adhere to certain criteria:

• The volume of the aquarium;
• Abundant and varied feeding;
• Outnumbering males.

When choosing a spawning ground for producers, its volume is very important. It should not be less than 300 liters. After its disinfection, the producers themselves begin to prepare. To stimulate spawning, you will have to resort to pituitary injections. After that, the Pacu fish begin to be intensively fed. Paku's diet should be varied with a predominance of animal proteins.

After the producers are ready for breeding, males and females are placed in the spawning ground. In this case, the number of the former should exceed the number of females. As a rule, after spawning, parents forget about their offspring. And so they can be safely planted in a common aquarium. In order for the fry to grow intensively, they need to be fed abundantly. Artemia will be used as food for little Pacu. As they grow, juveniles must be sorted. If this is not done, then the larger ones eat the smaller ones.

Pacu fish ... Agree that many of us have never even heard of such a creature from the underwater world. It's a pity, because this depth can attract attention not only because of its physical features, but also due to the huge number of rumors associated with its alleged bloodthirstiness and aggressiveness.

Pacu is completely harmless, despite the fact that its size is much larger than that of its closest relatives, and the teeth of this fish outwardly strongly resemble human ones. She is a real vegetarian and eats only plants.

Rumors about the emergence of a new population of bloodthirsty pacu took place. But they don't seem to be confirmed. And if this was true, then individual individuals became only an exception to the main rule.

Pacu fish: habitat

Everyone knows that piranhas are found in southern latitudes. The subject of our conversation is no exception. Where does pacu fish live? Photos are mainly taken in South America, and in the Amazon. Although you can also find these fish in Africa.

Nutrition Features

As mentioned above, pacu only tastes like vegetarian food. In captivity, they prefer to feast on fresh lettuce, nettle, spinach, and green peas (even in canned form). And they will never refuse ice creams of spirulina and wolfia. For variety, pacu fish menus sometimes include granulated, freeze-dried and other elements of animal origin.

Pacu fish. Keeping in an aquarium

The impressive size of the pack has to be kept in huge demonstration aquariums. On average, their length ranges from 30 to 40 cm, but some specimens can sometimes reach 60 cm. There is a known case when a fish weighing 25 kg has grown to 88 cm in length. Living in captivity, pacu grow no more than 50 cm in length, and their weight does not exceed 2 kg. But still, for such a large fish, a sufficiently large aquarium is required, at least 200 liters, in which the water needs to be changed regularly. It is also necessary to install powerful air exchange and good quality filtration systems.

If you are going to have several individuals at once, then make sure that they have where to turn around. Please note that a 100 liter aquarium is quite enough for young fish, but this is only for a short time.

Fish breeders feed them slices of bananas, figs and other exotic fruits. However, they will not refuse pumpkin, cabbage, tomatoes and cherries. A feature of pacu is that they do not fully digest food, which entails a large amount of waste. That is why the ideal neighbors for pacu fish are herbivorous catfish, which feed on leftover food and push undigested waste to the surface, thereby helping to keep the aquarium clean.

How would you react to the fact that you brought out such a fish?

And this is not at all a deviation, but a completely understandable phenomenon. And you all know this fish...
Pacu is the common name for several species of omnivorous South American freshwater piranhas. Pacu and common piranha (Pygocentrus) have the same number of teeth, although there are differences in their alignment; piranha teeth are pointed, razor-shaped with a pronounced mesial bite (the lower jaw protrudes forward), while the pacu has square straight teeth with a slight mesial or even distal bite (the upper front teeth are pushed forward in relation to the lower ones). As an adult, wild pacu weigh more than 30 kg, they are much larger than piranhas.

The designation Pacu is of Brazilian-Indian origin. As soon as large representatives of the genus Colossoma appeared in the aquarium hobby, they immediately received the name - pacu. In the Amazon, this word is generally used to refer to small and medium-sized representatives of the genera Metynnis, Mylossoma and Myleus. At the same time, Colossoma macropomum is known as "tambaqui", and Piaractus brachypomus is known as "pirapitinga".


Pacu, along with piranhas, is a close relative of popular aquarium characins, such as neons or tetras. The current classification of these fish is complex and, in many cases, controversial. This is due to the fact that ichthyologists, when reconstructing relationships between taxa, rely on characteristics that can randomly overlap (cladistics). In some cases, DNA analysis is performed, which confuses rather than adds harmony to the arrangement of species. Ultimately, an artificial arbitrary classification is obtained.


Head profile and teeth of common piranha (left), head profile and teeth of pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus, right)

Piranhas and pacu belong to the subfamily Serrasalminae ("Toothed salmon"), all members of which have a toothed keel running along the abdomen. However, diet and tooth structure are very different in these groups.


Pacu currently includes the following genera: Acnodon, Colossoma, Metynnis, Mylesinus (Mylopus), Mylossoma, Ossubtus, Piaractus, Tometes, and Utiaritichthys. Each of these groups includes one or more species. For example, commercially available black and red-bellied pacu are the species Colossoma macropomum and Colossoma brachypomum, respectively, and Piaractus mesopotamicus is known as Paraná river pacu.


All representatives of the pacu inhabit the rivers and streams of the Amazon and Orinoco basins of the Amazonian lowlands, where they are part of the neotropical fish fauna.

The fish are often marketed as "herbivorous piranhas". With the right level of care, they can become responsive pets. However, there is evidence that calls into question the possibility of keeping fish by ordinary aquarists. Despite the fact that pacu are not as carnivorous as piranhas, and their jaws are designed to crack nuts and seeds, they can be dangerous to humans.

Pacu originally roamed the waters of the Amazon, but now it is found in North America, and in Asia, after sport fishing was allowed on it. In 1994, two fishermen from New Guinea died after being attacked by a mysterious creature in a lake that almost riddled their bodies. The men died from blood loss. As it turned out later, the responsibility for this "crime" lay precisely on the pack. These attacks prompted world-famous extreme angler Jeremy Wade to travel to this Guinean lake and catch the culprit, the giant killer paca. Attacks on people and animals are committed only by young immature individuals of the brown pacu.

As a commercial species, pacu was introduced into the Sipik River in 1994 and into the Rama River in 1997. Locals do not like these fish because they eat native species, including young crocodiles, and occasionally attack people.

While in the wild the pacu are predominantly vegetarian, in Papua New Guinea there are reports of the fish reaching very large sizes and attacking humans. In fact, the largest individuals are caught in this state compared to the rest of South America. They gained notoriety as "egg eaters" for biting off swimmers' genitals and leaving them to bleed in two separate incidents in 2001, in two separate incidents, red-bellied pacu.

Pacu are one of the main commercial species of the Amazon. In addition, due to their resistance to low oxygen content and low dietary requirements, they are a favorite subject of aquaculture.

Studies have shown that farm-raised pacu tastes like hybrids of striped bass, tilapia and rainbow trout, but is superior to catfish. In South America, its meat is famous for its softness and sweet taste.


Brown pacu fish (Colossoma macropomum) reaches a length of 108 centimeters, and its weight is about 25 kilograms, although there are specimens weighing up to 40 kg. Pacu lives in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and belongs to freshwater piranhas. The appearance of the pacu resembles piranhas: the body is high, laterally compressed, the eyes are large. Body color - from gray to black, with variations. About 10% of body weight is fat.

Brown pacu keep, as a rule, singly, juveniles consume zooplankton, insects, snails. Adult fish are mainly herbivorous, feeding on fruits and other food of plant origin. Young individuals stay in the waters of the river until puberty.


In European rivers, a predatory fish has started up that attacks people. However, the worst thing is that the goal of the river predator is the male genitalia. It is almost impossible to avoid an attack when meeting with such a fish, therefore the authorities of Denmark and Sweden, where several fishermen have already died, urge citizens to refrain from swimming for a while.

In Scandinavia, it has already been confirmed that several fishermen died from loss of blood after the attack of a predatory fish. How this fish got into an unusual habitat is still unknown. This type of fish is called pacu, and it was found in the Öresund River in Denmark. In appearance, this fish is as unpleasant as it is dangerous, it has a rather intimidating appearance and large teeth.

Some inhabitants of the underwater world are familiar to us, others we have eaten, and not everyone even knows about the existence of others. There are species of fish that we didn't even know existed. They are completely different: huge and tiny, dangerous and not very dangerous, with bizarre shapes and strange names. From this article you will learn that there is, for example, a fish with human ones, it is probably not known to every person. Many strange fish live in the underwater depths, we will also talk about them. So, let's start a journey into the fascinating and exotic world of fish.

Pacu

This is the most real fish with human teeth. Pacu is a freshwater inhabitant of many rivers in South America. It is also found in the Orinoco and Amazon basins. It also made its way to Papua New Guinea, where it was artificially bred in order to raise it to a higher level. Fish with human teeth belongs to the same genus as piranha (Serrasalminae), although their preferences and habits differ. Piranha is a carnivorous variety, but pacu eats absolutely everything, prefers vegetation.

Fish with human teeth: why is it called that?

The most important difference between pacu and piranha is the structure of the teeth. Piranha, as we know, has sharp teeth, which many compare to a razor. But a fish with human teeth has a completely different jaw structure, which is why it is called that. If you look into her mouth, you can really get scared and horrified. Her teeth are square and straight, very similar to human teeth. Fish use them mainly for chopping fruits and nuts, although they can also eat invertebrates. It was her craving for nuts that once deprived the genitals of two fishermen in Papua New Guinea. As you can see, although the pacu is not such a predator as the piranha, the strength of its jaws can still cause irreparable harm. But in the US, the fish is legal, and anyone can buy it and place it in an aquarium. But for some reason, people do not take into account that the pack can grow up to a meter and weigh about 30 kg. Therefore, then the owners simply release it into the nearest body of water. This can explain the fact of the appearance of fish in Denmark, England. Some sources report that there is already a pacu even in Russia.

lion fish

Continuing to talk about what kind of worlds exist, we cannot lose sight of this cute creature. The lion fish is mostly motionless among the corals, only occasionally swims from one place to another. It attracts the attention of people and numerous aquatic inhabitants with its unusual coloration, dorsal and pectoral fins, which resemble a large fan. However, behind the bright appearance are sharp needles that secrete poison. A fish will never be the first to attack a person, but if he accidentally steps on it or even touches it, then just one injection will greatly worsen the general state of health. And after several injections, a person will not be able to swim to the shore on his own, he will need help.

frilled shark

This predator is called so because of the brown formation on the body, which looks like a cape. And due to the large number of folds on the skin, it is also called a corrugated shark. Scientists believe that such formations on the skin serve as a reserve of body volume to accommodate large prey in the stomach. Due to the teeth bent inward, this inhabitant of the waters is unable to crush food, therefore it swallows its prey whole. This is where the folds on the skin, which can stretch, come in handy. You can see a shark in any ocean, but not in the Arctic.

drop fish

Some types of fish are really able to amaze with their appearance. Drop fish is one of them. It looks so unattractive that it is considered one of the most feared fish on the planet. They live off the coast of Tasmania and Australia, and at the moment there is a threat of their complete extinction. The body of this ugly fish consists of a gelatinous mass, the density of which is less. It has absolutely no muscles, but this does not prevent it from lazily opening its mouth and swallowing everything that swims in front of it (if it is edible).

big mouth

This unusual individual lives in the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian oceans. The body of the large mouth is narrow and long (up to 1 meter). And the mouth has gigantic dimensions (a third of the entire length of the body), and even can be stretched. This unusual inhabitant of the oceans does not have scales, ribs, and a normal bone skeleton. The thin body on the tail turns into a thread, at the end of which there is a luminous organ. Due to the presence of only light cartilage and deformed bones in the skeleton, the fish is very light, it has tiny eyes and a very small skull. The size of the mouth allows the bolshemouth to swallow prey that is larger than itself in size.

sack swallower

This deep-sea dweller is also called the black devourer. This fish grows no more than 30 cm in length, and it was named so because of the ability to absorb the whole prey, which is several times larger than itself. For example, it can easily swallow prey that is 4 times longer and 10 times heavier than the baggullet itself! Its jaws are very large, and fangs help to hold the prey while the fish pushes it into its stomach. When food begins to decompose in the stomach, a lot of gas is formed there, due to which the fish involuntarily rises to the surface of the water. Very little is known about these inhabitants, since it is simply impossible to observe their way of life in their natural conditions.

Macropinna smallmouth

It is impossible to see this fish and not cry out in fright and surprise at the same time. Why? Because she has a transparent head! The side-eye (second name) can easily follow prey through such a head with its tubular eyes. The specimen was discovered only in 1939. In her usual environment, she is motionless, and if she decides to move, she does it in a horizontal position and very slowly. Previously, it was completely incomprehensible how the eyes of a fish work, because there are organs of smell right above its mouth, and the eyes are located right inside its amazingly transparent head, and they only look up. In 2009, scientists finally found out that the macropinna has an extremely unusual structure of the eye muscles. It turns out that the eyes of the fish are usually in a vertical position, and if there is a need to look ahead, then it moves them to the horizontal! Once this happens, she can see her mouth and grab her prey!

anglerfish

This is the real deep-sea monster. It is called not only an angler, but also a devil fish. This one has naked skin, a spherical body shape, and the female has a "rod". This predator hunts thanks to a special outgrowth on its back - in the process of evolution, one section of the dorsal fin separated from the others, and a transparent bag appeared at its end, in which bacteria live. What is most interesting, the anglerfish can make these bacteria light up! He himself regulates this by narrowing or expanding the blood vessels. The female can grow up to 65 cm, and the male only up to 15-45 mm! When the male ends puberty, he attaches to the female with sharp teeth (usually on the side). Soon he grows together with her tongue and lips, and his teeth, intestines, eyes are reduced in such a way that he becomes a mere appendage that has lost its independence.

Conclusion

From this article, you learned what unusual fish exist (photos are given above). It doesn’t matter if they are a danger to humans or not, they should not be afraid. After all, the main thing is to have information and know what each individual is capable of.