Bivibranchia

Bivibranchia is a genus with 5 species in this atlas, catalogued in the Piranhas & Pacus section, recorded from Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana and 4 more countries. Adult sizes run from 3 in to 7.5 in. Every species below links to a full researched profile.

Species in atlas
5
Adult sizes
3–7.5 in
IUCN assessed
5 of 5
Recorded from
7 countries

About the genus

Bivibranchia belongs to family Curimatidae, a group of toothless, detritivorous and algivorous characiforms found across South America. The atlas's five species are recorded from Brazil, Colombia, French Guiana, Guyana, Suriname, Venezuela, and Peru, spanning much of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guiana Shield drainage systems, and run 3–7.5 in - a moderate size for a curimatid. Like other members of the family, they lack teeth and feed by sifting fine organic material and algae from sediment and biofilm rather than hunting or grazing plants directly.

None of the five atlas species carries a common name, and Bivibranchia has essentially no presence in the aquarium trade - it's a genus of scientific and ecological interest rather than a hobby name, playing a role in nutrient cycling and detritus processing within its native rivers. The conservation picture is reassuring where it has been assessed: four of five species rate Least Concern, with only one species Not Evaluated, suggesting a genus under no obvious pressure even though it draws little formal attention.

IUCN Red List: Least Concern · 4 Not Evaluated · 1

The 5 species

Every Bivibranchia recorded in this atlas. Each card links to a full researched profile — distribution, water parameters, and aquarium care, cited to primary sources.

Vari, 1985

5 in SL · LC

(Steindachner, 1908)

7.5 in TL · LC

Vari & Goulding, 1985

3 in SL · LC

Géry, Planquette & Le Bail, 1991

5.5 in SL · LC

(Eigenmann & Myers, 1927)

6.5 in TL · NE

Explore further

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Genus Bivibranchia. Aquarist Atlas. https://www.aquaristatlas.com/bivibranchia/

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