Stats

Lifespan

15-25 yrs

Size

Large

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

School

Biome

Tropical rainforest

Range

South America

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

Red-bellied pacus are a large, flat-bodied fish native to the Amazon River basin. Unlike most pacus, they are a fast swimmer and can reach speeds of 20 kilometers per hour.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling fry

   A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Characiformes

Family

Serrasalmidae

Genus

Piaractus

Species

Piaractus brachypomus