Colossoma macropomum
No common name
NS
G5
Collection Details
Specimens
Photos
There are no photos available for this taxon yet.
Records
Taxonomic Hierarchy
Actinopterygii (Ray-finned Fishes)
Characiformes (Characins)
Serrasalmidae (Piranhas and Pacus)
Colossoma
Colossoma macropomum
Description
This species account was compiled from
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Characters
Body shape: short and / or deep.
Distribution
South America: Amazon and Orinoco basins as wild form; pisciculture form largely distributed in South America.
Habitat Associations
Freshwater. benthopelagic. Found in: streams.
Biology
This species is usually solitary. Adults stay in flooded forests during first 5 months of flooding and consume but fruits and grains. Young and juveniles live in black waters of flood plains until their sexual maturity. Feeds on zooplankton, insects, snails and decaying plants (Ref. 32894). Used in aquaculture because it can live in mineral poor waters and is very resistant to diseases. Marketed fresh and frozen (Ref. 9987).
Max length: 108.0 cm TL; common length: 70.0 cm TL; max weight: 40000 g.
Reproductive mode: dioecism; fertilization: external; nonguarders (open water/substratum egg scatterers); parental care: none.
IUCN Red List Status: Near Threatened (NT), assessed 2020-12-17. Resilience: Medium (K=0.23; Fec=7,000-300,000).
Commercial or Environmental Importance
Fisheries: minor commercial; gamefish; aquaculture: commercial; aquarium: public aquariums.
References
Géry, J. (1977) Characoids of the world. Neptune City ; Reigate : T.F.H. [etc.]; 672 p. : ill. (chiefly col.) ; 23 cm.
Lowe-McConnell, R.H. (1984) The status of studies on South American freshwater food fishes. p.139-156. In T.M. Zaret (ed.) Evolutionary ecology of neotropical freshwater fishes. Dr. W. Junk Publishers, The Hague, Netherlands.
Goulding, M. (1980) The fishes and the forest: explorations in Amazonian natural history. University of California Press, Berkeley. 280 p.
De Albuquerque, M.O., J.W.B. Siva and G. Kuvacs (1994) Sobre o desenvolvimento do ovo e embrião do tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum Cuvier 1818. [On the egg and embryo development of tambaqui, Colossoma macropomum Cuvier 1818.]. Boletim Técnico DNOCS, Fortaleza Vol. 47/52 Nos. 1/2:79-100.
Jégu, M. (2003) Serrasalminae (Pacus and piranhas). p. 182-196. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil.
IGFA (2001) Database of IGFA angling records until 2001. IGFA, Fort Lauderdale, USA.
Comments On Colossoma macropomum