Arapaima

The Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world and is the largest freshwater fish in South America. The Arapaima lives mostly in rivers such as the Amazon and the Essequibo. The Arapaima can commonly be found around 6 feet long but some reach over 8 feet. The World Record fish for this species was 440 pounds and 15 feet! This fish is hunted for food by the natives because it is so big and very tasty. The Arapaima is shaped like a torpedo with grey scales in the front and red scales around its tail. The Arapaima's tail is like a sea snake's, very long and flat. The man on the left is Jeremy Wade.