Facts about Arapaima

1. 08

   Arapaima can leap up to 6 feet out of water to catch birds and insects from overhanging branches, making them one of few freshwater fish species known to hunt terrestrial prey.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharebehaviorhuntingadaptation
2. 07

   Arapaima eggs hatch within 5-7 days, and the father actively defends the fry for several months by keeping them in a tight school formation to protect against predators.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharereproductionbehaviorparentalcare
3. 06

   In oxygen-poor Amazon floodplain waters, arapaimas can survive up to two years in dried mud cocoons by reducing metabolic rates to near-zero levels.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharebiologyadaptationsurvival
4. 05

   During the breeding season, male arapaimas construct and guard mud nests in shallow water, exhibiting rare paternal care among large fish species.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharebehaviorreproductionbiology
5. 04

   Arapaima scales contain a hard enamel-like layer that indigenous hunters traditionally used as a tool for scraping and filing, demonstrating multipurpose value beyond the fish's meat and oil.

   ArapaimaMay 14shareindigenoustoolsanatomy
6. 03

   Indigenous peoples of the Amazon have caught arapaima for thousands of years using traditional methods like bow and arrow fishing in shallow waters during seasonal droughts.

   ArapaimaMay 14shareindigenousculturalhunting
7. 02

   Every few minutes, arapaimas surface to gulp air through a specialized labyrinth organ, making them obligate air-breathers despite living in water.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharebiologyrespirationadaptation
8. 01

   Up to 10 feet long, the arapaima is one of the world's largest freshwater fish species native to South American rivers.

   ArapaimaMay 14sharebiologymeasurementgeography