Ecological Risk Screening Summary - White Piranha (Serrasalmus brandtii) - Uncertain Risk

Species that are considered uncertain risk need a more in-depth assessment beyond the Risk Summary to better define the species’ risk to U.S. environments.

White Piranha (Serrasalmus brandtii) is native to the São Francisco River basin in eastern Brazil. It is also found in several adjacent river basins, but it is not clear in every case whether the species is native to those basins or was introduced. S. brandtii has been introduced to multiple reservoirs outside its native range, although no impacts of introduction have been documented to date. Piranhas, such as S. brandtii, are prohibited from possession or trade in numerous U.S. States. Climate match to the contiguous United States is low overall, with medium matches occurring in portions of Florida, Texas, Arizona, and California. Due to lack of information of impacts of introduction, the certainty of assessment is low. The overall risk assessment category for Serrasalmus brandtii is uncertain.