7 Mega Cool Facts About This Freshwater Giant
Tuesday, June 19, 2018 written and photographed by Mika Miller
The Aquarium is full of interesting fish, but one in particular makes a giant impression! That is, of course, the Arapaima. Here are 10 amazing facts about this mega fish.
- Arapaimas can reach lengths of up to nine feet long and can weigh up to 440 pounds!
- The Arapaima can breathe air! It has a rudimentary lung and can survive as long as 24 hours outside of the water. This allows the Arapaima to survive in oxygen-poor waters and during dry seasons.
- They eat by creating a vacuum that sucks their prey into their mouth.
- In Brazil the Arapaima is called Pirarucu. This name is derived from the indigenous words “pira,” meaning fish, and “urucum,” meaning red.
- Male Arapaima’s incubate tens of thousands of eggs in their mouths! They guard them aggressively and move them when necessary.
- Arapaimas stay underwater for only 10 to 20 minutes. When it surfaces for air, it makes a loud coughing noise.
- The Arapaima is one of the largest species of freshwater fish.
Visit our Arapaima and other Amazon river giants in our Journey to South America habitat.