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The Pirarucu

Senador Brasil

Piraruc·

The pirarucu is another strange Amazon fish. It is one of the world's biggest freshwater fishes – a full-size adult measures 3 metres (10 ft) long and weighs more than 125 kg (275 lb). The pirarucu also one of the most popular fish caught by locals for food. It the basis for many of the Amazon's regional dishes. The pirarucu is also known locally as the Arapaima.

The pirarucu is is a member of one of the oldest fish species – the Osteoglossidae, or bony tongues. It has similarities to fossils over 100 million years old. The bony tongue actually has a second set of teeth embedded into it, which proves useful when chewing up some species of catfish protected by armoured plates. The tongue is also valued by locals, who dry it and use it as a grater.

The pirarucu prefers waters with a low oxygen content. In this environment it is unable to to get all the oxygen it needs from the water (via its gills), so it frequently needs to rest near the water's surface – breathing in air. An oxygen-poor environment has an advantage for the pirarucu. Lack of oxygen makes other fish sluggish, and easy prey. It eats other smaller fish. The pirarucu has a flat bony head, a long scaly body, and a stumpy tail.

The species was once common throughout Amaz⌠nia. Since Amazon Indians lacked metal-tipped harpoons, they found the huge pirarucu difficult to catch and subdue. Once caught, the fish also deteriorated rapidly unless it was salted or dried. For these reasons the Indians concentrated on fishing for other species. But pirarucu quickly became a favourite with Europeans, who prized it for its size and cod-like flavour. Unfortunately this popularity, combined with slow breeding, has resulted in the pirarucu becoming extremely rare in the lower Amazon. It is likely to become even rarer due to increasing development, pollution, and population pressures in the region. The fish caught today are smaller than the examples which the early settlers claimed to be catching – a 100 year old record exists for a pirarucu which measured 4.6 m (15 ft).

Visitors to the Amazon will find pirarucu on the menu in many restaurants and eating houses. But the pirarucu isn't just for eating. Its scales are abrasive when dried, and can be used as sandpaper or nail files (a use originally discovered by the Indians). Tourists will also encounter the scales in tourist markets, where they are used for making hanging decorations.