TankBud

Wimple piranha

Catoprion mento

Also known as Wedge piranha, Scale-eating piranha, Wimpel piranha

FreshwaterFish

Wimple piranha (Catoprion mento)
Charles & Clint · CC BY 2.0

Care at a glance

Temperature
75–82°F
24–28°C
pH
5.5–7.5
Adult size
5.9 in
15 cm
Minimum tank
53 gal
200 L
Temperament
Aggressive
Social behavior
Solitary
Tankmates
Species tank only
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Medium
Breeding
No record
Rarity
Rare
Family
Serrasalmidae
Origin
Native to the Amazon, Orinoco, and Paraguay basins in South America.

Overview

The wimple piranha is best kept singly, because it will nip scales and fins from tankmates and can be nasty toward its own kind. If you try a community it must be with fast, large scaled fish, and even then damage is likely. Give it cover, warm soft water, and expect an unusual, specialized feeder rather than a typical community fish.

In the wild

Lives in slow rivers, creeks, and flooded areas, often among vegetation and submerged wood. It is a specialized hunter that shadows other fish and darts in to feed. The water is usually warm, soft, and slow moving.

Good to know

Catoprion mento is a scale eater, or lepidophage, that rushes other fish and tears off a mouthful of scales to eat. Its heavily built lower jaw is packed with outward angled teeth suited to the job. It stays small for a serrasalmid at around 15 cm.

Did you know

It makes a living by biting the scales off other fish, a rare feeding style that only a handful of fish worldwide have evolved.

Common questions

What size tank does a Wimple piranha need?

A Wimple piranha needs at least 53 gal (200 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Wimple piranha need?

A Wimple piranha is comfortable at 75–82°F (24–28°C) with a pH of 5.5–7.5.

How big does a Wimple piranha get?

An adult Wimple piranha reaches about 5.9 in (15 cm).

Related species