Scientific Name: Phractocephalus hemiliopterus
Family: Pimelodidae
Ok, the name is really Pirarara, it’s not wrong.
If you are coming to Brazil and intend to catch one of these, you must learn how to pronounce its name.
I’m not a Portuguese teacher but I’ll try:
First, the letter “i” has the same sound that in “bit” and the ‘r’ in this case sounds like the “t” in “data” (American pronunciation). The main stress is in the second “ra”.
So it’s like /Pita’tata/.
It leaves in Amazon and Araguaia-Tocantins Basins.
The Pirarara can reach 3,2 ft in length ans weigh up to 110 lb. It’s like a big colorful catfish.
This fish is a very violent carnivorous that feeds on another fish, fruits and crabs.
Some Amazon native people say that it attacks human beings, especially children swimming in the rivers, but I don’t know if it’s true or just a legend.
If you like your other fish, don’t put a pirarara with them in the same aquarium. Take a look what could happen:
Pirarara, the truck of the water.
Dourado, the King of the river.
Scientific Name: Salminous maxillosus
Family: Characidae
You can find it at La Plata basin, including Pantanal. Its considered the king of Brazilian rivers
It’s a very beautiful and strong animal with a shining yellow body. It can weigh as much as 55 lb and be 3,2 ft long.
Dourados, generally swimming in shoals, feed on small fish in the rapids and in the mouth of lagoons, especially during the low-water season when the little fish migrate to the main channel of the rivers.
According to Rancho Ze da Noca Dourado is a very violent predator that jumps out of the water after being hooked.
