On Exhibit
River Giants
This is the largest fish found strictly in fresh water. The arapaima is very unique among fish— it can breathe air! They have a very primitive lung. They can take up oxygen through their gills also but they typically live in oxygen-poor waterways and supplement with air breathing.
Arapaima are listed as endangered fishes according to the Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species, or CITES. This means that their trade is strictly regulated.
More on the Arapaima
From their beautiful, shockingly tough scales and enormous size to their reliance on air to breathe, the Arapaima (aka the Pirarucu or Paiche) is definitely one of the most interesting fish species found in the Amazon River. Even at less than half their maximum size in the wild, these river giants are the largest fish, by length, in our River Giants exhibit!
