ARAPAIMA

The name of the genus Arapaima comes from the tupí-guaraní word for this freshwater fish. They are also known as “pirarucu” in Brazil, which roughly translated means “red fish.” In Peru, they are called “paiche”.

Arapaima was once thought to be a genus of only one species, Arapaima gigas. Because of this, Arapaima gigas is the most well-researched of all of the subspecies. However, as many as 4 separates species have been discovered, with the most recent one found in the Solimões River in Brazil. Arapaima leptosoma, discovered in 2013, comes from the Greek word leptos, which means “slender”, and soma, which means “body.” Arapaima mapae comes from the Lago do Amapá in Brazil, which is where it gets its scientific name. The final species, Arapaima agassizii was named after famous biologist Louis Agassiz.

The arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche is any large species of bonytongue in the genus Arapaima native to the Amazon and Essequibo basins of South America. Arapaima is the type genus of the subfamily Arapaiminae within the family Osteoglossidae.

• Big Gulp: Arapaima fish use the “gulp” method to feed, which means they suck prey in close to the surface of the water using their large mouths.
• Air-breathers: Arapaima fish have oxygen bladders and breathe air for most of their lives – only young arapaima fish have gills.
• Gigantic fish: They are the largest freshwater fish in the world.
• Bony tongues: They are known as bonytongue fish, and their tongues used to crush prey against the roofs of their mouths.

4 species of Arapaima have been classified so far:

• Arapaima gigas: The most well-studied of all of the species. Lives in the Amazon River Basin and is actively fished for its meat, scales, and bony tongue.
• Arapaima mapae: Has a maximum length of 2 meters, and is found in the Lago do Amapá in Brazil.
• Arapaima leptosoma: Discovered in 2013 in the Solimões River in Brazil. It is distinguished from other species by being especially slender.
• Arapaima agassizii: Named after biologist Louis Agassiz. Has fewer rows of teeth than Arapaima gigas. Found in the Brazilian Amazon.

Appearance:

These fish are both long and heavy. They can reach up to 10ft in length, with some sources claiming a maximum length of 15ft (4.7m). They weigh up to 220kg (485lbs). They have copper-green heads and black bodies, with lighter scales in the center. Their tails are covered in red scales, which is where the name (Pirarucu), or “red fish,” comes from.