Small-scaled pacu facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Small-scaled pacu |
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| A group near Bonito, Brazil | |
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Myletes edulis |
The small-scaled pacu (scientific name: Piaractus mesopotamicus), often just called pacu, is a type of ray-finned fish from South America. It lives naturally in the Paraguay and Paraná River basins. People have also moved this fish to other areas for aquaculture, which is like fish farming. In its home region, it's sometimes called pacú chato or pez chato, which means "flat fish."
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About the Pacu Fish
What Does It Look Like?
The pacu fish has a strong, oval-shaped body that is flat on its sides. Its color ranges from dark grey to silver, with a white belly and a yellow chest. This fish can grow quite large. It can reach up to 62 centimeters (about 2 feet) long. It can also weigh up to 20 kilograms (about 44 pounds).
There is another fish in the same family called Piaractus brachypomus. You can tell them apart by their scales. P. brachypomus has bigger scales and fewer scales along its side. It has less than 110 scales on its side.
What Does It Eat?
The small-scaled pacu is an omnivore. This means it eats both plants and animals. Young pacu fish usually eat tiny crustaceans. These are small water creatures like shrimp.
Adult pacu fish mostly eat plant material and insects. A big part of their diet is nuts and seeds. These fall from trees in flooded forests.
Where Does It Live and How Does It Cope?
The small-scaled pacu is originally from the Paraguay and Paraná River areas in South America. It can live in water temperatures between 15 and 35 degrees Celsius (59 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit). However, if the water gets colder than 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit), the fish stops eating.
