Environment: milieu / climate zone / rango de profundidad / distribution range
Ecología
; agua dulce demersal; pH range: 6.0 - 6.5; dH range: 10 - ?. Tropical; 25°C - 29°C (Ref. 2060); 5°N - 11°S
South America: Amazon River basin. The active fishing of this fish has reduced both the population size, and occurrence of large individuals, especially around the populated regions of the Amazon (Ref. 50891).
Length at first maturity / Tamaño / Peso / Age
Madurez: Lm 149.5, range 145 - 154 cm
Max length : 450 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 6398); common length : 200 cm TL macho / no sexado; (Ref. 557); peso máximo publicado: 200.0 kg (Ref. 557)
Short description
Claves de identificación | Morfología | Morfometría
Obligate air-breathing (Ref. 126274); Often referred to as the largest freshwater fish. Builds a nest of about 15 cm depth and 50 cm width in sandy bottoms. Spawns in April and May and guards the eggs and the young. Obligate air breather. The fish rises to the surface of the water and inspires air in a noisy, distinctive gulp, which is reported to carry for long distances (Ref. 50891). Migrates into higher floodplain habitats with rising water and moves back eventually to lacustrine habitats during low water level (Ref. 116898). Threatened due to over harvesting (Ref. 58490).
Ferraris, C.J. Jr., 2003. Arapaimatidae (Bonytongues). p. 31. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brasil. (Ref. 50891)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Pesquerías: comercial; Acuicultura: comercial; pesca deportiva: si; Acuario: Acuarios públicos
Herramientas
Special reports
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Fuentes de Internet
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Referencia
82804): PD
50 = 0.5469 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01096 (0.00594 - 0.02026), b=2.94 (2.77 - 3.11), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Nivel trófico (Referencia
69278): 4.5 ±0.0 se; based on diet studies.
Generation time: 11.1 ( na - na) years. Estimated as median ln(3)/K based on 2
growth studies.
Resiliencia (Referencia
120179): Bajo, población duplicada en un tiempo mínimo de 4.5-14 años (tm=4-6; Fec=47,000).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Moderate to high vulnerability (54 of 100).
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Nutrients (Ref.
124155): Calcium = 29.9 [16.6, 81.3] mg/100g; Iron = 1.02 [0.53, 2.23] mg/100g; Protein = 16 [14, 18] %; Omega3 = 0.387 [0.140, 1.140] g/100g; Selenium = 140 [45, 346] μg/100g; VitaminA = 15.6 [3.9, 64.9] μg/100g; Zinc = 0.648 [0.415, 1.065] mg/100g (wet weight); based on
nutrient studies.
