Deep in the vast rivers and flooded forests of the Amazon Basin, there lives a fish that appears to be prehistoric in both size and appearance. The arapaima, also called the “pirarucu,” is one of the ...

A keystone species of the Amazon River ecosystem, the arapaima is a powerful predator known by many names. Mike Bock Reaching up to 10 feet (3 meters) long and weighing 440 pounds (200 kilograms), ...

Arapaima gigas is a big fish in a bigger river full of piranhas, but that doesn't mean it's an easy meal. The freshwater giant has evolved armor-like scales that can deform, but do not tear or crack, ...

It may already be living in the country's waterways in strong numbers.

As the world’s largest freshwater fish, the arapaima, is being targeted by poachers in Brazil, while members of Indigenous communities are doing their best to protect it. The Paumari Indigenous ...

The 10-foot-long arapaima was quickly disappearing in Brazil until local communities stepped in to save it—and themselves. A close-up view of an arapaima from the Brazilian Amazon shows its unique ...