Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)

Species information

Facts & Status
Description
Range & Habitat
Biology
Threats & Conservation
Glossary & References
All

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Range

The arapaima occurs mainly within the Amazon basin floodplain but its exact distribution, particularly in the lower part of the basin, is not known. It has also been recorded in the upper Essequibo basins of Guyana and fossil evidence suggests its historical presence in the Rio Magdelena basin in Colombia (8) (9). Outside of its native range, arapaima has been introduced to waterways in parts of east Asia for fishing and as a result of unintentional aquarium release (10) (11).

View a distribution map for this species at UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre.

Habitat

The preferred habitat of arapaima fluctuates with the seasons; lakes and river channels are favoured during the dry season, while flooded forests become much more important during the wet season (12) (13).