Species learning profile
Arapaïma
Arapaima gigas
Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) is a freshwater fish associated with river habitat in South America. This giant must surface regularly to gulp air.
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At a glance
- Eau
- Eau douce
- Habitat
- Rivière
- Longueur maximale
- 300 cm
- Répartition
- Amérique du Sud
- Famille
- Arapaimidae
- Ordre
- Osteoglossiformes
Observe
How to identify Arapaïma
- Dark olive with copper-red scales toward the tail.
- Huge and thick-bodied with a blunt head and small rear-set fins.
- Reported maximum length: 300 cm — a genuinely giant fish. Maximum is not the same as typical adult size.
Field note: color, size, and markings can change with age, sex, season, depth, and lighting. Use several traits together.
Place and pattern
Where it lives—and how it behaves
Habitat and range
This species is associated with river habitat across South America. Flow, seasonal floods, connected side channels, and access to spawning reaches all shape its river habitat.
Behavior
Uses river habitat for feeding, shelter, migration, or reproduction.
Food-web connections
What it eats and why it matters
Diet
A species-specific mix of plant material, plankton, invertebrates, or other fish.
Ecological role
It participates in a connected river food web where nutrients and animals move both upstream and downstream..
Remember
One fact worth keeping
Arapaïma peut atteindre environ 300 cm et vit souvent près de Rivière.
Think like a conservationist
A conservation lens
River fish depend on connected water. Dams, blocked migrations, pollution, and altered flow can matter even when the channel still looks wet.
This habitat lens is not a current population-status assessment. Status can differ among regions and change as new assessments are published; follow the reference links and local fisheries or wildlife agencies for current decisions.
Recall
Quick knowledge check
Which habitat is most closely associated with Arapaima in this guide?
Keep exploring
References and further reading
Fishdle summarizes stable identification and ecology concepts in plain language. Taxonomy and population knowledge continue to change, so use primary assessments and regional authorities for conservation or management decisions.
Make connections