Lepidophagy
Videos
Lepidophagy is a specialised feeding behaviour in fish that involves eating the scales of other fish. Lepidophagy is widespread, having evolved independently in at least five freshwater families and s
The bucktooth tetra eats scales off other fishes.
Lepidophagous fish (A and C) with non-lepidophagous relatives (B and D): Catoprion mento (A), Pygopristis denticulata (B), Roeboides affinis (C), Charax cf. pauciradiatus (D)
Jaws of serrasalmids: Catoprion mento (which feed on large scales throughout its life) and Pygopristis denticulata (which feed only on small scales as juveniles)
Wimple piranha skeleton, showing large consumed scales stacked within its gut
Piranha
Videos
A piranha is any of a number of freshwater fish species in the subfamily Serrasalminae, of the family Serrasalmidae, in the order Characiformes. These fish inhabit South American rivers, floodplains,
Lepidophagy
…in Schilbeidae, Bagridae, or Horabagridae), Macrorhamphoides uradoi (family Triacanthodidae), several pencil catfish (family Trichomycteridae), some piranha, Exodon paradoxus, Probolodus, Roeboides and Roeboexodon species (order Characiformes), Cyprinodon desquamator (family Cyprinodontidae), along with all…
Pygocentrus nattereri Karlsruhe Zoo 01
Piranha in Venezuela with its jaws held open to show its distinctive sharp teeth
Jawbone of Pygocentrus nattereri
Close-up of a piranha at Georgia Aquarium