Originally posted by Jim Sachs
I thought about it, but probably not. They're not especially good-looking fish.
What is a good-looking fish? Which Piranhas are you referring to?
I admit that most of the Serrasalmus species can be "odd" looking to many people, but the Pygocentrus species (True Piranhas) have wonderful colouring, especially if they are wild caught.
The most common in the Red-Bellied (Pygocentrus Nattereri), of which most are tank-bred fish. This inbreeding has led to less vibrant colours than their wild counterparts, which have silver scales and bright red bellies.
Other species such as Pygocentrus Piraya have beautiful, bright yellow and orange "flames", and the Pygocentrus Caribe looks like the Nattereri, but has the black humeral spot behind the gills.
These fish have excellent personalities, as do most large fish. I have three myself, and they never cease to amaze me. They're so shy and timid, yet can turn highly aggressive when defending territory or when feeding.
I feel the Pygocentrus Piranhas would be an excellent addition to the freshwater screensaver. They are one of the best known freshwater fish (who hasn't heard about Piranhas?), and I think it would be a shame not include them.