[ad_1]
The decaying body of a dead Amazonian “river monster” recently washed up in Florida, raising concerns whether this gigantic predatory fish has joined the Sunshine State’s ever-growing list of invasive species, according to reports. source of information.
But although it can thrive in the warm waters of Florida, this fish, known as the arapaima (Arapaima gigas) – a large creature that can reach 3 meters in length and 440 pounds. (200 kilograms), according to a 2019 study in the journal PLOS One – The odds are stacked against it, at least for now, said Solomon David, an aquatic ecologist at Nicholls State University in Louisiana who was not involved in the recent arapaima sighting.
This is because these fish have some very peculiar quirks: they only breed in specific areas, spend precious time and energy caring for their young, and reach sexual maturity before they are around 1 meter tall. , 5 meters long and at least 3 meters. at age 5, David told Live Science. Additionally, it would take many people to have a sustainable population in Florida, and so far only one dead arapaima has been found.
In this case, the arapaima was probably an exotic animal in a person’s private aquarium that outgrown their tank and was illegally released in the wild or died in captivity and was thrown into the river, David said. “We don’t even know if this thing was alive when it was thrown, if it was thrown in there,” David told Live Science.
Related: Amazing arapaima: pictures of the biggest fish in the Amazon
The remains of the arapaima were found in Jaycee Park in Cape Coral on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River, which empties into the Gulf of Mexico in western Florida, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported in early March. The normally greenish fish, which sports a reddish tail, had already turned white with rotting, pictures show. But although it wasn’t the 10 feet long, it was definitely an arapaima, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission told the Sun Sentinel.
This fish, also known as pirarucu or paiche, was abundant in parts of the the amazon river, but the species is now threatened in many places along its natural habitat, David said. The arapaima is a member of the bony tongue group, a flock of heavy-bodied tropical river fish whose tongues are studded with teeth and whose bodies are covered with large mosaic-shaped scales that are hard like armor, according to Encyclopedia Britannica. These scales are so hard, even piranhas can’t bite them – but that’s only luck, because arapaima evolved long before piranhas even existed, David said.
Araapaima is prized for its meat, and not just in rural areas along the river, where the relatively boneless meat of the fish, once salted, can be stored without refrigeration, according to Miami Patch. In fact, Whole Foods Market was selling commercially farmed arapaima, the grocery chain said in a 2016 blog post. But much of the wild arapaima is threatened by overfishing, and it doesn’t help that the species, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, is relatively easy to spot. It’s a mandatory breather, which means it has to come to the surface of the water every 5 to 15 minutes to swallow air, according to a 2009 study in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology.
Arapaimas evolved this breathing tactic because the Amazon has a weak oxygen levels. (Hot water contains less oxygen than cold water.) Arapaima don’t have lungs, but rather a special tissue in their swim bladder that processes oxygen, Lesley de Souza, an advocate of environment specializing in neotropical fish at the Field Museum in Chicago, tell mongabay.com.
Related: Image gallery: Invasive species
Invested parents
Unlike many fish that never meet their young, arapaima are lovable parents. During the Amazon rainy season, usually from December to May, the river flows into nearby floodplains. It is there, in the flood plains, that arapaima dig shallow nests where females can lay eggs for males to fertilize. Both parents guard the predator’s nest and continue to care for the young once the eggs hatch nine days later, according to a 2017 study published in the journal. PLOS One.
Both parents release a milk substance from their heads, known as “arapaima milk,” which is given to the offspring, according to the study. Plus, dads are dedicated caregivers.
“The male provides intensive parental care that can last up to three months, guiding the offspring above its dark head into areas rich in zooplankton for food,” according to the 2017 study. The female tends to swim around the male and young at a distance – it’s unclear why, but perhaps to search for predators or food – and usually leaves her “family” after about a month, after which she might mate with some other males, according to the study.
Parental care is a big reason why arapaima probably aren’t taking over Florida waters, because young arapaima are “not very tough fish when they’re small,” David said. But if these fish reach adulthood, they can live at least 15 to 20 years, according to the 2019 PLOS One study.
Certainly, even if the odds are against this fish in Florida, the arapaima could overcome these obstacles – perhaps they could find nesting areas on the Florida coast, raise their young, wait until they are big enough and old to reproduce, then repeat the cycle. , establishing a viable population. If that happened, these voracious eaters would likely make a dent in the populations of invasive and native fish species and small invertebrates that live in the surrounding area, David said. However, these fish are so large and take so long to mature that it would likely be possible for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to find and dispose of them, he noted.
“We should be on the lookout – there is nothing wrong with being vigilant,” David said. “But again, switching from fish to fear isn’t the best way to learn more about these fish,” he added, noting all the negative media coverage of these fish.
Some outlets, including CBS and even the fishing magazine “Field and flow“, Called the Amazonian fish” ugly. “
“As someone who is sort of a champion of the ‘ugly’ fish, I think we need to get away from it,” David said. “I think these are really cool and amazing fish. Just look at those red scales.”
Originally posted on Live Science.
[ad_2]
Source link