All fish / Serrasalmidae

Redeye Piranha

Serrasalmus rhombeus

Also known as black piranha, redeye piranha, red eye piranha, white piranha, spotted piranha, rhombeus piranha, diamond piranha, black diamond piranha, peruvian black piranha, high back piranha, ปิรันย่าดำ, ブラックピラニア

A large, deep-bodied piranha with a silvery to dark grey body speckled with dark spots, a black band on the tail and striking red eyes that turn the whole fish darker with age. It is kept by specialist keepers as an impressive single display fish and is one of the biggest piranhas in the hobby.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

30 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

5.5 to 7.5

Smallest tank

500 litres

Keep as

Keep singly

Diet

Carnivore: whole fish, prawns, mussels, earthworms and quality carnivore pellets

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

10 to 20 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon, Orinoco and Guiana Shield river basins of northern South America

Breeding

It lays eggs in nests in the wild, but captive spawning is almost unknown because the species cannot be kept in groups without fatal fighting.

Good to know

Highly aggressive even towards its own kind, so it must be housed alone in a large, well-filtered tank, and it can inflict serious bites during maintenance. Piranhas are banned or need a licence in many places, including several US states and parts of Asia, so check local law before buying.