Taxonomy (with index of trivial names):
Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822)
Family: Osteoglossidae - band fishes, bony tongues
Named in Brazil: Pirarucù, Warapai, Bodeco, Bodequinho
Perú y Ecuador: Paiche
Guyana: Warapai
Colombia: De-Chi, Pirarucù, Paiche, Ticuna
Ecuador: Paiche
USA: Giant arapaima
China: 巨巴西骨舌魚 (引進)
Japan: アロワナ科
Русский: Арапайма
עברית: פיררוקו

Description: Arapaima reaches lengths of up to 3 metres (10 ft.) and weigh up to 200 kg (440 lbs.). The front body is bronze green. There are red spots in middle to tail section, and the tail is orange and green mottled.

Distribution (without world wide fish farming): The largest scaled freshwater fish in the world lives only in north-eastern South America; particularly in the Guyana Shield and the Amazon River Basin. The Makushi, the second largest indigenous group in Guyana and the third largest in Brazil call the fish - Warapai.

Some aspects of fish biology: The swim bladder of the arapaima is open to the pharynx and the fish uses the bladder which is rich in blood vessels as a lung. The adult arapaima surfaces every 18-20 minutes and juveniles every 5 minutes for gulping air. Due to their ability to breath air from the surface arapaima can survive oxygen depletion and extensive drought periods by burrowing in the mud. The father guarding the eggs is known to take them in his mouth and move them to another location. The young are led by the male in a group once they are able to swim.

iwokrama
ITIS valid taxonomic status

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