What Is Arapaima?
Arapaima is a type of freshwater fish that occurs in South America and is one of the most (if not the most) threatened freshwater fish in the world. It's also known as a "living fossil" because it hasn't changed in appearance for hundreds of millions of years. Despite this, Arapaima is still found throughout parts of their range, but they're becoming rarer due to overfishing and habitat destruction.
What Should You Know about Arapaima?
Arapaima is a type of fish that is found in the Amazon River. It has a long, pointed snout, and can grow up to 18 feet long. They are known for their large mouths and sharp teeth.
Arapaimas are one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. They have no natural predators because they can grow up to 18 feet long and they have a long, pointed snout which makes them hard to swallow.
Arapaimas are found in the Amazon River, but they can also be found in other parts of South America as well as Africa and Australia.
Arapaimas’ Habitat and Population Status
Arapaimas are one of the largest freshwater fish in South America. They live in rivers, lakes, and swamps and can reach up to 18 pounds.
Arapaimas are one of the largest freshwater fish in South America. They live in rivers, lakes, and swamps and can reach up to 18 pounds. These largely nocturnal animals have a unique hunting style that allows them to ambush their prey with their long snouts.
The arapaima is a large, predatory fish native to the Amazon Basin in South America. It is also known as the pirarucu or golden arapaima due to its gold-colored scales. The name "arpi" comes from Tupi (an indigenous language) for "water dog", which refers to its carnivorous nature
More to know about Arapaima!
ARAPAIMA
Class:Actinopterygii
Order:Osteoglossiformes
Family:Osteoglossidae
Genus and Species:Arapaima gigas
Size
The arapaima is the world's largest freshwater fish, reaching up to 440 pounds (200 kilograms) and 10 feet (3 meters) in length. Occasionally, fish that are about 200 pounds (90.7 kilograms) and 7 to 8 feet (2.2 to 2.4 meters) in length are also caught.
Native Habitat
The arapaima is found in Brazil, Peru, and Guyana. It lives in the slow-moving, oxygen-deficient rivers of the Amazon River basin floodplain.
Food/Eating Habits
The Arapaima eats mostly fish and is also known to eat fruits, seeds, insects, birds, and mammals found on the surface of the water. They're known to be efficient hunters and eaters as they use their mouths as a "gulper" strategy. They have large jaws & sharp teeth that allow them to catch their prey with ease. The Arapaima can outswim other fish, often feeding near the bottom of rivers and streams.
The dolphins are able to use short bursts of speed to attack potential prey when it surfaces in the water. With a diet that includes herring, squid, smelt, shrimp, fruit, and gels, the Smithsonian's National Zoo provides a home for one of these animals.
Reproduction and Development
During the dry season between February and March, arapaima lay thousands of their eggs in nests about 28 inches (70 cm) long and 10 inches (25 cm deep hollowed out in the sand by their fins.. The eggs hatch at the beginning of the wet season, which means that fry (baby fish) can get plenty of food. It is also thought that the male draws fry into milk during incubation. They'll spend 6 to 8 months drawing out the young after which they eat them, so maturity is reached around 4-5 years of age and sexual maturity is reached around 5-6 years of age.
Lifespan
Arapaima are able to live for up to 20 years
