Animal Profiles
Fish

Arapaima

Arapaima

Living

Living individuals or members of this group exist today. This does not mean they are safe from extinction.

Arapaimas are large South American freshwater fishes. This account follows the older Arapaima gigas treatment, describing an air-breathing predator of Amazonian rivers and floodplain waters.

Arapaima photographed in an aquarium and labelled Arapaima gigas by the image source.

Arapaima photographed in an aquarium and labelled Arapaima gigas by the image source.

Shizhao · CC BY-SA

At a glance

Location
The cited account concerns Arapaima gigas in the Amazon basin, including tributaries, floodplain lakes and seasonally flooded forest. Older descriptions use the name broadly, so their range is not assigned to every currently recognised arapaima species.
Habitat
Rivers and lakes, Wetlands
Diet
Piscivore
Food
Fish form the main diet.

Classification

Common name
Arapaima
Browse group
Fish
Scientific name or taxon
Arapaima
Source classification
Actinopterygii

Three things to know

  • It must surface to breathe.
  • Large scales cover the body.
  • Other fish are its main prey.

Habitat and range

The cited account concerns Arapaima gigas in the Amazon basin, including tributaries, floodplain lakes and seasonally flooded forest. Older descriptions use the name broadly, so their range is not assigned to every currently recognised arapaima species.

Appearance and adaptations

Large scales cover a long body that is usually grey with reddish or orange colouring towards the rear. The dorsal and anal fins sit far back. A bony tongue is another distinctive feature.

Diet and behaviour

Fish form the main diet. Arapaimas must rise to breathe air, an important adaptation in waters that can be low in dissolved oxygen. They can also move below the surface between breaths.

Sources

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