Arapaima Gigas
The arapaima (PIRARUCU) fish is one of the biggest freshwater fish species in the world. The fish can only be found in the Amazon River in South America. It is believed can reach a length of 450 centimetres and weight up to over than 200 kilograms.
The arapaima is very popular food fish and sport fishers there, a majority of caught arapaima fishes are sold and consumed in Brazil. Arapaima caught today forbidden in many regions but THE ILLEGAL FISHING still continues.
http://youtu.be/Fi9w3e4vjtI
http://youtu.be/Fi9w3e4vjtI
It is made hard to find large arapaima specimens today. The arapaima is a predatory fish that eats fish, birds, monkey and any other animal that it can catch. Arapaimas prefer to hunt close to the surface since they need to breathe oxygen from air, the fact that this fish need to air from the atmosphere every 10-20 minutes.
The arapaima is found in various habitats in the Amazon River, it lives in white water as well as clear water. The arapaima is egg laying mouth brooding species that tend to its eggs as well as its larvae. They will aerate the water to make sure that the eggs get enough oxygen. The pheromone makes the larvae stay close to their parent where they can be protected from predator.