Fishes of the Amazon

Located on the continent of South America and considered to be the longest river in the world, the Amazon river contains thousands of different species of fish, including catfish, bass, piranha and candiru. At certain times of the year, the Amazon river spreads out to more than 120 miles wide and will flood out areas near this extremely large river.

  1. Matrincha

    • With the capacity to reach over twelve pounds when fully grown, the matrincha is a freshwater fish in the Amazon river. With features that resemble a large bass, the matrincha lives on a consistent diet of small fish, grasshoppers, flies and other types of insects found in the Amazon. This fish also has a silver tone to it and is equipped with a dorsal fin on its mid-section and also features a black marking on its upper tail fin portion which extends down to its anal fin.

    Piranha

    • With a diet consisting of half-dead fish and other injured animals that it locates in the Amazon river, piranha are a species of fish notorious for its voracious appetite and its ultra-sharp teeth. Reaching up to five pounds in weight, piranhas uses their sharp teeth for rapidly puncturing and sheering through their victim's flesh with great precision. These fish can also grow up to eighteen inches in length and have a life span of three years or more on average.

    Candiru

    • Usually found in the deepest water areas of the Amazon river, candiru is a type of catfish that is extremely small in both width and height. Due to its small size as well as its translucent appearance, the candiru is able to hide at the bottom of the Amazon river to wait until its prey approaches and will then strike much bigger fish with a quick attack. Eating a hole through its prey's body as it squirms its way into the fish's gills, the candiru will devour its victim's blood and parts of the fish's entrails in order to survive in its Amazon habitat.

    Arapaima

    • As one of the largest freshwater fish species in the world, the arapaima can reach up to over six feet in total length. The weight of this enormous fish can exceed 220 pounds and is one of the most popular fish for the local Amazon fisherman to try to catch because of its huge size. One of the most endangered fish species found in the Amazon, this fish lives on a diet of crustaceans, other types of fish and small insects found in the Amazon.