Tiergarten NürnbergHome

in Nuremburg

Animals from A-Z

Black Pacu

(engl: Black Pacu)

Tough wimps 

Black Pacus need warm water with an ideal temperature of 28°C. The frugal giants are disease-resistant and also common in waters with low oxygen content and lots of dispersed suspended sediment.

Useful nutcracker 

Adult pacus feed on hard-shelled plants, fruits, seeds and nuts. They crack them open with their strong teeth. In the Amazon, they prefer the seeds of rubber tree species. After passing through their intestinal tract, they excrete them as germinable seeds again. In this way, they play an important role in the ecosystem. 

Verbreitungsgebiet: Schwarzer Pacu
Verbreitungsgebiet: Schwarzer Pacu
Scientific Surname Colossoma macropomum
Order Characiformes
Family Serrasalmidae
Size 1 m
Weight 30 kg
Reproduction spawning season: Sept.-Feb.
Distribution South America
Food Insects, snails, plants
Livestock threatened
Lifespan 35 Years