Why does the arapaima need to come to the surface to breathe?

It has a modified swim bladder made of lung-like tissue that lets it gulp air at the water's surface, an adaptation that allows it to survive in oxygen-poor water where gill-only breathing would not be enough.

How fast does the arapaima grow?

It is one of the fastest-growing freshwater fish, with juveniles able to reach about 1 meter in length within their first year.

Arapaimaピラルクー

Arapaima gigasDD— Data Deficient

The arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, a massive, air-breathing predator native to the Amazon and Essequibo river basins of South America. It surfaces regularly to gulp air through a lung-like swim bladder, grows to roughly a meter in its first year of life, and has become a conservation success story where community-managed fisheries have allowed populations to rebound dramatically.

Arapaima (reference photo) — Photo: Citron / CC BY-SA 3.0 / Source / cropped

Species Data

Classification: Osteoglossiformes / Osteoglossidae Source
Distribution: Native to the Amazon and Essequibo river basins of South America; populations have also been introduced to tropical regions of Asia. Source

Did You Know?

It has a modified swim bladder made of lung-like tissue and breathes air at the surface, allowing it to survive in oxygen-depleted water with dissolved oxygen as low as 0.5 ppm. Source
It grows extremely fast, with juveniles reaching about 1 meter within a single year, and a male-female pair cooperates to guard the eggs and young. Source
Sustainable fishery management introduced in the Amazon since 1999 has helped populations in managed areas recover from about 2,500 individuals in 1999 to over 170,000 by 2017. Source

Where to See This Species

6 facilities · 0 individuals

カワスイ川崎水族館 (Kawasuikawasaki Suizokukan)Kanagawa

カワスイ川崎水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Osaka Aquarium KaiyukanOsakaOpened in 1990

海遊館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

桐生が岡動物園 (Kiryuugaoka Doubutsuen)Gunma自動車の場合、カーナビ検索は「桐生が岡動物園」ではなく「桐生が岡遊園地」で設定すると駐車場に到着できる（動物園名で検索すると誤った経路になる場合がある）。

桐生が岡動物園のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

志摩マリンランド (Shimamarin Land)MieOpened in 1970

志摩マリンランドのWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Kobe Suma Sea WorldHyogoOpened in 2024

神戸須磨シーワールドのWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Toba AquariumMieOpened in 1955

鳥羽水族館のWikipedia記事に飼育種として記載 Source

Conservation Story

Conservation Status

IUCNではDDに分類されています。

Habitat

アマゾン川流域の河川、湖、氾濫原。

Threats

漁獲
生息地の改変

Conservation & Breeding Efforts

地域に基づく漁業管理
飼育下での保全教育

Sources

ja.wikipedia.org

Support Conservation

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Visit: A visit itself helps support the facility.
Animal Supporter Programs & Giving: Find ways to support the facility through its official website.
Furusato Nozei: Municipally run facilities may share official guidance for this Japanese hometown-tax program.

FAQ

Why does the arapaima need to come to the surface to breathe?: It has a modified swim bladder made of lung-like tissue that lets it gulp air at the water's surface, an adaptation that allows it to survive in oxygen-poor water where gill-only breathing would not be enough. Source
How fast does the arapaima grow?: It is one of the fastest-growing freshwater fish, with juveniles able to reach about 1 meter in length within their first year. Source

Source: ja.wikipedia.org en.wikipedia.org