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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing the arapaima. These fish are sometimes labeled as the largest living freshwater fish, and while they can get quite large - like up to ten feet (3m) long king of large - they’re rivaled by sturgeons for the title of “largest”; still, it’s safe to say these are some big animals! Well, some species are anyway, others don’t quite reach these gargantuan lengths, but they’re still impressive in their own ways. Arapaima have somewhat flattened heads and torpedo-shaped, long bodies. Their rear ends come with some fancy fins in a fiery red color. They also require air to breathe and grow really fast.

There are currently four classified arapaima species; the verdict’s still out on a potential fifth species, and some scientists believe that there may be more unknown species waiting to be discovered in the oxygen deficient areas these fish live. Arapaima are native to South America, specifically in the Amazon river basin, however, because they are used as food for human consumption, they’ve been bred outside of their native range and some have been seen living invasively in places like China and Malaysia among others. These freshwater giants can live in environments other fish wouldn’t last an hour. That’s because arapaima can breathe air. In fact, arapaima are required to breathe air in order to obtain oxygen.

Although arapaima have gills, they’re tiny, and these fish must surface once every few minutes in order to breathe. This surfacing behavior is actually part of what makes them an easy target for human hunters! It gives away the arapaima’s position in what might otherwise be murky and well-concealing waterways. Like the betta fish we’ve discussed previously, an arapaima has a labyrinth organ which allows these fish to pull oxygen from the air. It’s this trait that makes arapaima so adaptable to low oxygen environments. In fact, arapaima can survive outside of water for up to a day thanks to this air breathing ability.

Besides humans, arapaima are eaten by caimans. Considering they can reach more than 400 pounds (181kg) in weight, that can make quite the feast! Arapaima themselves eat other fish, crustaceans, fruits, seeds, small animals that have ventured too close to the water’s edge and fallen in. They’ll gulp their food down like a frogfish. Arapaima can also jump clear out of the water? Normally arapaima jump out of the water when they’re agitated or if they’re feeling too constrained. Still, it’s amazing a fish that large can move that quickly.

Arapaima begin breeding towards the end of the dry season in February. This is so that the hatching of their eggs lines up with the rainy season. During the rainy season, floodplains that are otherwise dry throughout the rest of the year will fill with water giving the newly hatched young a perfect place to find their fins. Unlike many other animals, however, these babies don’t have to manage alone. Arapaima fathers actually carry their babies in their mouths in order to protect them. The mother may even stick around to help keep Dad safe, too! It’s like one big happy family, and these fish may live to be upwards of two decades old!

These fish may look similar to another fish species, the arowana, which we’ve talked about in a previous episode! Currently, arapaima are believed to be decreasing in population due to overfishing and habitat loss, though they are currently listed as data deficient on the red list of species because they live in such a large range that it is difficult to fully evaluate.

For more facts on the arapaima, check out the links in the description. Thank you to Crimson Inferno for today’s request! Give a thumbs up if you learned something new today, and thank you for watching Animal Fact Files!