The largest fish in the Amazon is the pyrarucu. Arapaima - giant tropical freshwater fish

One of the most unusual and mysterious fish, first mentioned in the scientific literature only in 1822, truly striking in its size and value of fish meat, is arapaima living in tropical freshwater reservoirs.

Features of arapaima and its habitat

Arapaima giant, or pirarucu, is found most often in the fresh waters of the Amazon. This species became known to the Guianan and Brazilian Indians and got its name due to the red-orange color of the meat and bright red spots on the scales (“pirarucu” - red fish).

The habitat depends on the climate and environmental conditions in which it lives. In the rainy season, they live in the depths of rivers, in drought they easily burrow into cool sand and silt, and can easily survive even in wetlands.

arapaima fish, is one of the most gigantic in the world. For some official sources the weight of some individuals can freely reach two centners, and its length sometimes exceeds two meters.

One of the main features of an individual is the extraordinary strength of ribbed scales, it is 10 times stronger than bones and it is problematic to break through it, it is comparable in strength to a shell. It was this fact that allowed the pyraruk to successfully adapt to living next to.

The popularity of this species of fish in their habitats is determined not only by their large size, but also by the fact that it is hardly possible to meet an adult in the wild.

For many centuries, this fish was considered the main food of the Amazonian tribes. It was her large size and her ability to rise to the surface of the water too often and even jump out of it in search of prey that became fatal - she was easily taken out of the water with the help of nets and harpoons.

Unusual arapaima body structure allows this fish to successfully hunt: the streamlined shape of the body and tail, conveniently located fins allow you to react with lightning speed to the approach of prey and grab it. Currently, the giant pyraruk population has been reduced, and catching arapaima is prohibited.

The nature and lifestyle of the arapaima

arapaima fish- the largest aquatic predator, lives in the fresh waters of the Amazon, where a civilized person appears very rarely: in the forests of Brazil, Peru, Guyana. It feeds not only on medium and small fish, but also does not disdain to profit from birds and carrion in the dry season. The body, penetrated by small blood vessels located close to the fish scales, allows hunting on the very surface of the water.

The peculiarity of the structure of the swim bladder (ovoid shape) and the narrow body help to easily survive the drought, adapt to adverse environmental conditions, and survive the lack of oxygen.

Due to the extremely poor oxygen content in the waters of the Amazon, arapaima is forced to float to its surface every 10-20 minutes in order to take a noisy breath of air. This can not be called an aquarium, however, today it is bred in captivity. Of course, it will not reach large sizes and body weight, but a little more than half a meter can be obtained with ease.

Artificial breeding of fish, although troublesome, is widespread throughout: in Latin America, Europe and Asia. They can be found in large aquariums, zoos, artificial reservoirs adapted for breeding fish.

Piraruku is settled separately from other species (to avoid eating them), or with other large predatory fish. In nursery conditions, arapaima can live for about 10-12 years in captivity.

Arapaima fish food

Giant arapaima is a predatory species and feeds exclusively on meat. An adult pyraruca favorable conditions selective in the choice of food, as a rule, its diet includes small and medium-sized fish, sometimes birds and medium-sized animals sitting on branches or descending to drink water.

The young are more voracious, during the period of active growth they devour everything that comes in their way: larvae, fish, carrion, invertebrates, small ones, and vertebrates.

Reproduction and life span of arapaima

Outwardly, the male at a young age is not much different from the female arapaima. However, during the period of puberty and readiness for spawning, the body of the male, with its gills and fins, is many times darker and brighter than that of the female.

Whether the female is ready to reproduce offspring can be judged by the length of her body and age: she must be at least 5 years old and no shorter than one and a half meters. In the hot arid climate of the Amazon, spawning occurs at the end of February - beginning of March.

Usually during this period, the female begins to equip herself with a place where she will later lay eggs. Piraruka-female most often for these purposes stops her choice on the sandy bottom, where there is practically no current, and the depth is not great.

With her long, agile body, the female digs a deep hole (approximately 50-80 cm deep), where she lays large eggs. As soon as the rainy season begins, the caviar already laid earlier bursts, and fry emerge from it.

It is noteworthy that arapaima, as most freshwater fish do, does not abandon the hatched fry, but looks after them for another three months. Moreover, the male himself remains with the female, and it is he who ensures that the eggs are not eaten by predators.

The role of the female after spawning is reduced to the protection of the territory around the nest, she continuously patrols the area around at a distance of 15 meters from the nest. The food for the young is a special substance white color located on the head of the male (just above the eyes).

This food is very nutritious, and already a week after birth, the fry begin to eat "adult" food and disperse, or rather blur, who goes where. Young animals do not grow quickly, on average, the total monthly increase in height is no more than 5 cm, and in weight no more than 100 grams.

Thus, despite its rather unattractive appearance, arapaima attracts the attention of aquarists and fishing enthusiasts. This fact is connected with the fact that the predator is able to reach truly gigantic sizes, and this is not given to all freshwater fish.

It only takes one look at appearance pyraruks to forever remember exactly how it looks this species fish. This is an opportunist, it is this feature that has allowed her, known since the time of the Brazilian and Guiana Indians, to survive to this day.

In aquarium conditions breed arapaima quite problematic due to the fact that she needs too large aquariums with a volume of more than a thousand liters, constant water filtration and a specially maintained temperature of at least 23 degrees with a hardness of no more than 10.

As you know, aquarium breeding is a very popular hobby: it calms nervous system, gives aesthetic pleasure, and some even earn money on this hobby. Previously, in our aquariums they lived mainly and, few amateurs could boast of rarer species. At present, small representatives of the overseas aquarium fauna are no longer a rarity, but giants living in a private reservoir are a rare phenomenon. And the fish itself, which will be discussed today, is not often found in nature.

What is this fish?

Arapaima, or piraruku, is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Scientific name Arapaima gigas quite justified - in length this giant fish reaches 2 meters or more.

Lives in the Amazon basin. The local Indians gave it a second name - piraruku, which means "red fish", because of the shade of its scales. It has a long elongated body, outwardly somewhat reminiscent of a moray eel, and two small lower fins.

Very strong and hard scales, with a greenish tint on the sides and red on the belly. It was first described in the 19th century. There is oral evidence that some individuals of pyrarucu reached a length of more than four meters. There is no documentary evidence for this.

Did you know?Locals use the Arapaima language as a grindstone or emery.

It is considered a living fossil, outwardly it really looks like a prehistoric monster - a half-fish half-reptile. However, this does not prevent the natives of the Amazon from eating it in various cooking options.

Main types

Arapaima is a unique creature, preserved from ancient times to the present day. It belongs to the monospecies Arapaima of the Aravaniformes family, that is, in the zoological classification, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world has no close relatives. Her appearance is literally one of a kind.

Important!Arapaima has not changed for the last 135 million years. That is, it was already like this in the era of dinosaurs.

Features of life in the wild

Piraruku prefers to live in wetlands, of which there are a lot in the basin of the most full-flowing river in the world. It feeds on fish and invertebrates, hunting them. From her distant relative, Aravans, she inherited the ability to hunt by jumping out of the water.
At the same time, they can also diversify the diet of a huge river predator.

Did you know?Arapaima also lives in the waters of Southeast Asia - in Thailand and Malaysia. It was inhabited there artificially.

Dimensions should not be misleading - arapaima is very aggressive and swift, in its environment it has practically no competitors. Contributes to this and one feature of pyraruku - the ability to breathe air. Wetlands, which the predator loves so much, are usually poor in oxygen. In the tropics, this is especially noticeable.

Under native conditions, arapaima breeds in November, in the Southern Hemisphere - at the height of spring. The fry grow up to their regular sizes only after 5 years. Due to the presence of strong scaly armor, it is not even afraid of piranha - it is simply not able to gnaw through a powerful cover.

Hunting for pyraruk is strictly regulated. But the fact is that in its habitats, in addition to the Arapaima, local Indians live, the tribes are very independent. The laws of Brazil or Guyana do not prevent them from eating fish, the taste of which can be compared with salmon or salmon.

Can it be kept in an aquarium

What do they feed arapaima

In captivity, arapaima consumes almost any protein food - rodents, birds, fish, artificial protein food.

Important!The price for a ten-day tour to the Amazon basin, with arapaima hunting, costs from 15,000 euros per person.

Breeding features

Although the fish breathes atmospheric oxygen, in captivity it needs good aeration and frequent water changes. Arapaima is very sensitive to changes in water temperature, because of its size, it needs a warm habitat for normal metabolism.

Did you know?A special secret is secreted from the glands on the head of the male pyrarucu, thanks to which the fry do not lose their father.

A way out of this situation was found. They began to plant other fish to the arapaima, after which she chases in a circle. The best bait turned out to be a relative of the arapaima, the aravana, who lives in the same regions as the piraruku.

In general, according to experts, arapaima is an unpretentious fish. But due to its size, it requires special treatment.

It is quite difficult to create conditions under which this giant will feel at home. If you still decide to have such a predator, try to take care of him and create all the conditions so that he does not need anything.

Arapaima (lat. Arapaima gigas) is a freshwater fish of the suborder of bone-speaking (Osteoglossidae) of the order Osteoglossiformes.

One of the largest freshwater fish, individual specimens reach 3 meters in length and weigh 200 kilograms.

These giants live in the freshwater reservoirs of South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Morona, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi rivers). Reservoirs with indented banks and a large number of floating plants - that's perfect place for its habitation and existence.

One of the most valuable commercial species in South America, it is often caught with nets and harpoons, so specimens over 2 meters long are now rare.

Previously, arapaima were caught in large quantities and did not think about its population.

Now, when the stocks of these fish have noticeably decreased, in some countries of South America, for example, in eastern Peru, areas of rivers and lakes have been identified that are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only under a license from the Ministry of Agriculture, and in some areas of distribution, fishing prohibited.

The powerful body of the fish is covered with large scales, which shimmer with various shades of red. This is especially noticeable in its tail. For this, the locals gave the fish another name - piraruku, which translates as "red fish". The fish themselves have a different color - from "green metallic" to bluish-black.

The fish does not have significant competition for life resources due to the unique mechanism of adaptation - the arapaima can breathe air due to the lung-like tissue that lines the pharynx and swim bladder.

Arapaima's swim bladder is lined with lung tissue.

This adaptation has developed due to the low oxygen content in the waters of the Amazon. Thus, arapaima can survive drought by swallowing air and burrowing into the mud and sand of marshes.

You can't confuse the breathing pattern of this fish with anyone else. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small whirlpools begin to form on the water surface, and then the fish itself appears at this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts just a couple of seconds. She releases the "old" air and takes a new sip, her mouth closes abruptly and the fish goes to the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones - a little more often.

Arapaima skull and jaws

Arapaima feeds on fish and other small animals, including birds. In juveniles, the main dish is freshwater shrimp.

The breeding season of arapaima falls on November. But they begin to create pairs already in August-September. These giants are very caring parents, especially males. The male digs a shallow hole with a diameter of about 50 centimeters near the shore. The female lays her eggs in it.

Throughout the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards the eggs and swims near the "nest", while the females at this time drive away the fish swimming nearby.

A week later, fry are born. The young are kept in a dense flock near the head of the male, and even to breathe they rise together. On the head of these fish are glands that secrete a secret, the smell of this secret attracts fry, forcing them to stay close to their parents. But after 2.5-3 months, when the young grow up a little, these flocks break up. The bond between parents and children is weakening.

scientific classification
Kingdom: Animals
Type of: Chordates
Class: Ray-finned fish
Detachment: Bone-lingual
Family: Bone-lingual
Genus: Arapaima
View: Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)

These giants live in the freshwater reservoirs of South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Morona, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi rivers). In these places there is a huge number of arapaima. In the Amazon itself, this fish is not so much, because. she prefers quiet streams with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A pond with indented banks and a large number of floating plants is the ideal place for its habitat and existence.

According to local residents, this fish can reach 4 meters in length and weigh about 200 kilograms. But arapaima is a valuable commercial fish, so now you can hardly find such huge specimens in nature. In our time, most often come across specimens no more than 2-2.5 meters. But still, giants can be found, for example, in special aquariums or reserves.

Previously, arapaima were caught in large quantities and did not think about its population. Now, when the stocks of these fish have noticeably decreased, in some countries of South America, for example, in eastern Peru, areas of rivers and lakes have been identified that are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only under license from the Ministry of Agriculture. Yes, but in limited quantities.

An adult can reach 3-4 meters. The powerful body of the fish is covered with large scales, which shimmer with various shades of red. This is especially noticeable in its tail. For this, the locals gave the fish another name - piraruku, which translates as "red fish". The fish themselves have a different color - from "green metallic" to bluish-black.

Her very unusual respiratory system. The pharynx and swim bladder of the fish are covered with lung tissue, which allows the fish to breathe normal air. Such an adaptation has developed due to the low oxygen content in the waters of these freshwater rivers. Thanks to this, arapaima can easily survive the drought.

You can't confuse the breathing pattern of this fish with anyone else. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small whirlpools begin to form on the water surface, and then the fish itself appears at this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts just a couple of seconds. She releases the "old" air and takes a new sip, her mouth closes abruptly and the fish goes to the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones a little more often.

On the head of these fish are special glands that secrete a special mucus. But what it is for, you will find out a little later.

These giants feed on bottom fish, sometimes they can eat small animals, such as birds. In juveniles, freshwater shrimp are the main dish.

The breeding season for pyrarucu is in November. But they begin to create pairs already in August-September. These giants are very caring parents, especially males. Then I immediately remembered how the male "sea dragons" take care of their offspring. These fish are not far behind. The male digs a shallow hole with a diameter of about 50 centimeters near the shore. The female lays her eggs in it. Then, throughout the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards the eggs and swims near the "nest", while the females at this time drive away the fish swimming nearby.

A week later, fry are born. The male is also next to them. Or maybe they are with him? The young are kept in a dense flock near his head, and even to breathe they rise together. But how does a male manage to discipline his kids like that? There is a secret. Remember, I mentioned special glands on the head of adults. So, the mucus that is secreted by these glands contains a stable substance that attracts fry. It is what makes them stick together. But after 2.5-3 months, when the young grow up a little, these flocks break up. The bond between parents and children is weakening.

It was also noticed that among these fish, the “adoption” of fry left without parents is common. After that, you sit and think that sometimes animals are much more humane than people.

The Amazon is home to many thousands of fish species that are found nowhere else in the world. The largest fish in the Amazon, which was called the arapaima by the locals, is a real giant, and some scientists attribute this species to the largest of those that live in freshwater rivers.

The freshwater arapaima is the largest fish in the Amazon, as it can reach approximately 2.5-3 m in length and weigh over 200 kg. Despite the fact that even 100 years ago, large fish of this species were not a rare prey for relevant fishermen, at present, even individuals of 50 kg are rarely found. The popularity of catching arapaima is explained by the fact that this meat of this fish has excellent taste. The gradual decline of the arapaima population in the waters of the Amazon has drawn the attention of scientists to this species. Most often, large specimens of arapaima are found in the Brazilian and Peruvian parts of the Amazon, but scientists believe that adult fish can move along the riverbed, migrating for seasonal spawning in more clear waters. Arapaims are found throughout the Amazon, but not so often.

In fact, arapaima is a truly amazing creature, because despite its large size, it can survive in fresh water where the level of oxygen saturation is not too high. The thing is that this amazing fish is able to breathe not only with gills. She has a primitive lung, which allows her to compensate for the lack of oxygen necessary to nourish the tissues of such a large body. Arapaima, living in different parts of the Amazon, emerge to breathe air every 20-30 minutes. Large specimens of arapaima prefer quiet backwaters, the total area of ​​which does not exceed 140 m, which are numerous along the entire length of the river. It is the fact that this large fish lives in shallow pools that do not differ in significant size, which makes it extremely vulnerable to fishermen.

Arapaima feeds mainly on bottom fish and crustaceans, but may also include some fruits in the diet, which fall into the river in excess during a flood. This fish has excellent hearing and sense of smell, so it can smell ripe fruits in the water even from a great distance. Adult arapaima are very caring parents. During the breeding season, which falls in November for these fish, they move closer to the sandy shores, where they dig a small depression where the female throws the game. After that, the male is constantly on duty near the hole with eggs, and the female drives away fish that try to approach. Thus, fish provide reliable protection for future generations. After hatching, the juvenile stays near the head of the adult and even rises to breathe with the parent. Only after 3-4 months, the connection weakens, and the juveniles begin an independent life.

The abundance of food in the Amazon River leads to the fact that arapaima grow rapidly and gain weight. The number of arapaima in the waters of the Amazon is gradually declining, since if earlier only large individuals were exterminated by harpoons, now the use of modern nets has made it possible to catch juveniles.