ads910 said:
so what is the real name for the red bellied piranha and what is a cariba,
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they are three different types of pygo species: the caribes, nats, and the piraya. the caribe or cariba which ever you want to call them ( also known as a serrasalmus notatus) but it's the same fish, is identified by their distinct black spot right behind their gill plate and sometimes the redness will not be as great on their bellys. the caribes are considered the most aggressive in the pygo species. they will eat and eat and ask for more. the caribe species have been known to grow up to 14'' or bigger in the wild. there was once one that was caught in the waters in the upper south american region a long time ago that was measured at 19'' inches, but this is very rare.
the nats are your common red belly piranha. they are mostly identified by their blunt bulldog appearance and when they are juveniles they will be spotted, but the spots will go away with maturity. the ones caught in the wild are considered to be "super reds" because the wild ones have more color and brighter red on their belly than the tank raised piranha.
the piraya is very much like the reds but these guys get huge. they have been known to have more of a lighter color to them and their spots are really close together when they are juveniles. these fish can also grow up to 14'' in length in the
wild.:nod: but to answer your question they all can be considered "red bellys" since they mostly all have red to orange coloration under their belly. but only the natteri's have the common name applied to them as red belly piranhas.
