Arapaima

giant fish · Amazon · freshwater

Massive river giant. Arapaima can grow up to 3 meters (almost 10 feet) long, making them among the biggest freshwater fish in the entire world. That's about as long as a small car.

Breathes air too. Unlike most fish that only use gills, arapaima also have special organs that let them gulp air from the surface. This helps them survive in the oxygen-poor waters of the Amazon.

Important food source. For people living in the Amazon, arapaima is a valuable food fish that has been caught and eaten for generations. However, too much fishing has made them harder to find in their home waters.

Fish traveler. Arapaima have escaped from fish farms in places like India and spread to new areas, where they can sometimes cause problems for local fish. Their Portuguese name, pirarucu, comes from old Tupi words meaning red fish.