The largest freshwater fish in Brazil are the pirarucu (Arapaima gigas) and the piraíba (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum). Also considered two of the largest fish in the world, they reach, on average, 2.5 meters and can reach 200 kilos. In the past, there were even larger arapaima, close to 3 meters. “To grow so big, it would have to live many years, which does not happen today, because of the intense fishing activity”, says ichthyologist (fish specialist) Ricardo Macedo Correia e Castro, from the University of São Paulo (USP) , in Ribeirão Preto (SP). Pirarucu is mostly found in the Amazon region, where it has great economic importance — its scales, for example, are used to make handicrafts and nail files. The piraíba also lives in the same region. Other big ones from the Amazon are the manatee (2.8 meters) and the pink river dolphin (2.5 meters), but both are not included in this ranking, as they are not fish, but aquatic mammals. Among the saltwater fish on our coast, some of the biggest are the whale shark (12 meters and 12 tons), the black sailfish (3.5 meters and over 600 kilos) and the grouper (2 meters and up to 400 kilos). “Despite being huge, the whale shark is harmless, it feeds on zooplankton and small fish”, says agronomist Carlos Alberto Arfelli, from the Fisheries Institute of the State of São Paulo, in Santos (SP). Brazil has more than 2,000 species of freshwater fish and at least 1,300 marine fish.
We gathered in the same scenario the freshwater giants that live in different regions of the country
GOLD (Salminus maxillosus)
Size – more than 1m
Weight – more than 20 kg
Where it lives – basins of the Paraná and São Francisco rivers
Covered in golden scales, it is famous for the spectacular leaps it often makes out of the water when caught by fishermen. In general, it swims in shoals in river currents and performs long reproductive migrations. It has sharp teeth and is a feared and voracious predator.
TAMBAQUI (Colossoma macropomum)
Size – about 1m
Weight – 35 kg
Where it lives – rivers in the Amazon and in the Paraná basin
The tambaqui has an extended forward jaw and a strong bite. During the dry season in the rivers of the Amazon, he lives practically without food, thanks to the fat accumulated in his body. In the flood, it goes to flooded forest areas, where it eats fruits and seeds.
PIRAIBA (Brachyplatystoma filamentosum)
Size – about 2.5m
Weight – 200kg
Where it lives – Amazonian rivers and Araguaia—Tocantins region
The piraíba is a catfish with a plump body and nocturnal habits. It is during this period that she goes out hunting, mainly small catfish of other species, crabs and reptiles. During the breeding season, it is capable of migrating 4,000 kilometers to find the ideal place to lay its eggs.
JAÚ (Paulicea luetkeni)
Size – 1.5m
Weight – more than 100 kg
Where it lives – Amazon and Paraná river basins
Much sought after by sport fishermen, the jaú, when hooked, can drag a canoe for several kilometers. It likes to live in rushing rivers and hide near submerged rocks. One of its favorite prey is the armau, a small fish common in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul.
WHY (Electrophorus electricus)
Size – more than 2m
Weight – about 20 kg
Where you live – in almost all of South America
Known as an electric fish, it looks like an eel. The poraquê is capable of producing an electrical discharge of up to 600 volts, a weapon it uses to defend itself and hunt its lunch — small fish. Every eight minutes, on average, the poraquê has to rise to the surface to breathe.
PIRARUCU (Arapaima gigas)
Size – about 2.5m
Weight – up to 200 kg
Where it lives – rivers of the Amazon basin
The pirarucu likes to swim in calm, shallow waters and feeds on fish such as cascudo, hake and peacock bass, as well as shrimp, snails, turtles and even snakes. When about to mate, the male’s head turns black and the female gets a brownish tone.