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SPECIES PROFILE
Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
Arapaima
IUCN STATUS
Data Deficient
CONSERVATION STATUS
Data Deficient
CLASS
Actinopterygii
GEOGRAPHICAL RANGE
Amazon basin
DIET
Carnivorous
HABITAT
Amazon oxbow lakes and slow rivers
🔬 Classification
PHYLUM
Chordata
CLASS
Actinopterygii
ORDER
Osteoglossiformes
FAMILY
Osteoglossidae
GENUS
Arapaima
📋 Description
SIZE
Up to 3 m; over 200 kg
COLORATION
Olive-grey with striking red scale edges toward the tail
ADAPTATIONS
Breathes air with a lung-like swim bladder; survives low-oxygen water
🌿 Ecology
HABITAT
Amazon oxbow lakes and slow rivers
DIET
Carnivorous
GEOGRAPHIC RANGE
Amazon basin
REPRODUCTION
Guards eggs and young in a nest
DIET DETAILS
Fish, and even small birds at the surface
⚠️ Threats & Conservation
PRIMARY THREATS
Overfishing
💡 Interesting Facts
1
One of the largest freshwater fish on Earth, the pirarucu must surface to breathe air every few minutes.
2
Community-managed lakes in Mamirauá and Pacaya-Samiria have revived its numbers.
🔭 Sighting Guide
📍 BEST PLACES TO SIGHT
Pacaya-Samiria NR
Mamirauá Reserve
🗓️ BEST TIME TO SIGHT
May-October
🎯 SIGHTING TIPS
Best seen with community fishing guides on Amazon lakes in the dry season, when arapaima surface to gulp air.
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