Serrasalmus geryi
Serrasalmus geryi was first described in 1988 by Jégu and Dos Santos. They are also called Geryi Piranha or Violet Line Piranha.
Description
Serrasalmus geryi can reach a total length of over 30 centimeters. In an home aquarium they seldom grow to be over 25 centimeters.
Geryi’s Piranha has a brightly shining silver coloured body. The coloration turns darker towards the upper body.
The most striking external feature, however, is without a doubt the dark purple stripe, which runs from under the chin over the head to the base of the tail. When the fish is viewed from the side this stripe is not visible, but as the fish turns a little it gradually becomes more visible. The usefulness of this line is unknown.
The pectoral and side fins are colorless to transparent light gray. All other fins are grayish in color. The tail is dark, with a light vertical band down the middle. The eyes are reddish.
Deviating/unique Appearances:
• Dark purple stripe that runs from under the head, over the head, to the base of the caudal fin.
• Laterally compressed body.
• Shoulder patch.
• Orange to red eyes.
Diet
Fish (fillets, frozen fish such as smelt, live*), shrimps, mussels, earthworms and mealworms, insects, pellets.
* When feeding live fish, a number of things should be considered: First, all fish can introduce diseases and/or parasites into the aquarium, including goldfish, windes and other commonly used cold water fish as well as tropical fish. It is therefore also advisable to keep food fish in a quarantine aquarium for a week or 2, in order to ‘flush out’ the sick and weakened specimens. In addition, it should be taken into account that goldfish and close relatives are not particularly nutritious. A diet that usually consists of live fish is therefore not recommended. All the more because goldfish and other Cyprinidae (carp-like) contain hormones – so-called “Thiaminase / Vitamin B1 inhibitors” – that paralyze the production of certain growth-stimulating substances in predatory fish. A very one-sided goldfish diet can therefore lead to growth and development disorders!
It may take a while for the fish to accept prepared food: if this is the case, make sure the fish is well fed with live food and then introduce a fasting period of a week to 12 days. During this period, provide the desired prepared food while the lighting is dimmed or turned off. If it doesn’t work the first time, supplement with live food and try again. Piranhas can go without food for a number of weeks without any problems, so the fish is not in any danger during this “cure” (with the exception of specimens smaller than about 8 centimeters!).
The Aquarium
Young and half-growns can temporarily be placed in an aquarium of 80×35 centimeters, but for fully grown specimens an aquarium of at least 120×45 centimeters is required.
If kept in a group of 3 specimens, the aquarium should be at least 150×50 centimeters in size. Each additional fish requires an additional 150 liters, with length and depth being more important than height.
Compatible Species
Geryi’s Piranha is one of the rare Serrasalmus species that can be kept (reasonably) successfully in a group, provided the aquarium is spacious enough for each fish to claim a territory, and is provided with a large number of hiding places. Nevertheless, it is advisable to keep this species solitary: they will always remain fin-biters, with an aggressive and unpredictable character. Keeping this species in a school is only advisable to experienced piranha keepers!
With sufficient hiding places, a catfish, such as a Pleco or a Thorny Catfish, can be placed to take care of any food scraps, but there is no guarantee that this will go well. Other fish are unsuitable to keep with this species.
Comments
This species is rarely found in private aquariums, mainly due to the fact that they are only found in a single river. For this reason, few fish are exported and very high prices have to be paid for them.
Video
Author
Jonas Hansel – Piranha-info.com
Copyright images
