Schooling predatory fish of the Amazon. Who lives in the Amazon River? What is the name of the largest fish in the Amazon? Flora and fauna of the Amazon

The giant arapaima is one of the largest and least studied fish in the world. Those descriptions of fish that are found in the literature are borrowed mainly from the unreliable stories of travelers.

It is even strange how little has been done so far to deepen our knowledge of the biology and behavior of the arapaima. For years, it has been hunted mercilessly both in the Peruvian and Brazilian parts of the Amazon, and in its many tributaries. At the same time, no one cared about studying it and did not think about preserving it. Schools of fish seemed inexhaustible. And only when the number of fish began to noticeably decrease, interest in it appeared.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world. Representatives of this species live in the Amazon in Brazil, Guyana and Peru. Adults reach 2.5 m in length and weigh up to 200 kg. The uniqueness of the arapaima is the ability to breathe air. Due to their archaic morphology, the fish is considered a living fossil. In Brazil, fishing is allowed only once a year. Initially, the fish was harvested with the help of harpoons when it rose to breathe on the surface.

Today it is caught mainly with nets. Let's take a look at this in more detail..

Photo 2.

Photo: View of the Amazon River from the window of the Cessna 208 amphibious aircraft that brought photographer Bruno Kelly from Manaus to the village of Medio Jurua, municipality of Carauari, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012.
REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

In Brazil, giant fish have been placed in ponds in the hope that they will take root there. In eastern Peru, in the jungles of the province of Loreto, certain areas of rivers and a number of lakes are left as a reserve fund. It is allowed to fish here only under the license of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Arapaima lives throughout the Amazon basin. To the east, it occurs in two areas separated by the black and acidic waters of the Rio Negro. Arapaima is not found in Rio Negro, but the river, apparently, is not an insurmountable barrier for fish. Otherwise, one would have to assume the existence of two species of fish, having different origins and living north and south of this river.

The western area of ​​\u200b\u200bdistribution of the arapaima is probably Rio Morona, to the east of it, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi, where it is found great amount fish. This is the second protected reservoir in Peru for breeding and observing arapaima.

The adult arapaima is painted very picturesquely: the color of its back changes from bluish-black to metallic green, the belly - from cream to greenish-white, the sides and tail are silver-gray. Each of its huge scales shimmers with all sorts of shades of red (in Brazil, the fish is called pirarucu, which means red fish).

Photo 3.

Swinging in time with the movements of the fishermen, a small canoe floated along the mirror-like surface of the Amazon. Suddenly, the water at the bow of the boat began to swirl, the mouth of a giant fish stuck out, exhaling air with a whistle. The fishermen stared dumbfounded at the monster two human heights long, covered with a scaly shell. And the giant splashed his blood-red tail - and disappeared into the depths ...

Tell such a Russian fisherman, he will immediately be ridiculed. Who is not familiar with fishing tales: either a giant fish will fall off the hook, or the local Nessie will be seen. But on the Amazon, meeting a giant is a reality.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish. There were specimens 4.5 m long! Now you don't see them. Since 1978, the record of the Rio Negro River (Brazil) has been held, where they caught arapaima with data of 2.48 m - 147 kg (the price of a kilogram of tender and tasty meat, almost without bones, far exceeds the monthly income of Amazonian fishermen. In North America it can be seen in antique shops).

Photo 4.

it strange creature looks like a dinosaur era. Yes, it is true: a living fossil has not changed in 135 million years. Tropical Goliath has adapted to the marshy swamps of the Amazon basin: the bladder attached to the esophagus acts as a lung, the arapaima protrudes from the water every 10-15 minutes. She, as it were, “patrols” the Amazon basin, captures small fish in her mouth and grinds them with a bony, rough tongue (locals use it as sandpaper).

Photo 5.

These giants live in freshwater reservoirs. South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Morona, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi). In these places there is a huge number of arapaima. In the Amazon itself, this fish is not so much, because. she prefers quiet streams with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A pond with indented banks and a large number of floating plants is the ideal place for its habitat and existence.

Photo 6.

According to local residents, this fish can reach 4 meters in length and weigh about 200 kilograms. But arapaima is a valuable commercial fish, so now you can hardly find such huge specimens in nature. In our time, most often come across specimens no more than 2-2.5 meters. But still, giants can be found, for example, in special aquariums or reserves.

Photo 7.

Previously, arapaima were caught in large quantities and did not think about its population. Now, when the stocks of these fish have noticeably decreased, in some countries of South America, for example, in eastern Peru, areas of rivers and lakes have been identified that are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only under license from the Ministry of Agriculture. Yes, but in limited quantities.

Photo 8.

An adult can reach 3-4 meters. The powerful body of the fish is covered with large scales that shimmer various shades red. This is especially noticeable in its tail. For this, the locals gave the fish another name - piraruku, which translates as "red fish". The fish themselves have different color- from "green metallic" to bluish-black.

Photo 9.

Her respiratory system is very unusual. pharynx and swim bladder fish are covered with lung tissue, which allows the fish to breathe normal air. Such an adaptation has developed due to the low oxygen content in the waters of these freshwater rivers. Thanks to this, arapaima can easily survive the drought.

Photo 10.

You can't confuse the breathing pattern of this fish with anyone else. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small whirlpools begin to form on the water surface, and then the fish itself appears at this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts just a couple of seconds. She releases the "old" air and takes a new sip, her mouth closes abruptly and the fish goes to the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones a little more often.

Photo 11.

On the head of these fish are special glands that secrete a special mucus. But what it is for, you will find out a little later.

Photo 12.

These giants feed on bottom fish, sometimes they can eat small animals, such as birds. In juveniles, freshwater shrimp are the main dish.

Photo 13.

The breeding season for pyrarucu is in November. But they begin to create pairs already in August-September. These giants are very caring parents, especially males. Then I immediately remembered how the male "sea dragons" take care of their offspring. These fish are not far behind. The male digs a shallow hole with a diameter of about 50 centimeters near the shore. The female lays her eggs in it. Then, throughout the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards the eggs and swims near the "nest", while the females at this time drive away the fish swimming nearby.

Photo 14.

A week later, fry are born. The male is also next to them. Or maybe they are with him? The young are kept in a dense flock near his head, and even to breathe they rise together. But how does a male manage to discipline his kids like that? There is a secret. Remember, I mentioned special glands on the head of adults. So, the mucus that is secreted by these glands contains a stable substance that attracts fry. It is what makes them stick together. But after 2.5-3 months, when the young grow up a little, these flocks break up. The bond between parents and children is weakening.

Photo 38.

Once the meat of these monsters was the staple food of the peoples of the Amazon. Since the late 1960s, in many rivers, arapaims have disappeared completely: after all, only large fish were killed with a harpoon, while the nets also made it possible to catch babies. The government has banned the sale of arapaime less than a meter and a half long, but the taste, which only trout and salmon can compete with, pushes people to break the law. Arapaima breeding in artificial pools with heated water is promising: they grow as much as five times faster than carps!

Photo 15.

However, here is the opinion of K. X. Lyuling:

The literature of past years greatly exaggerates the size of the arapaima. To some extent, these exaggerations began with the descriptions of R. Schomburk in the book Fishes of British Guiana, written after a trip to Guiana in 1836. Schomburk writes that fish can reach a length of 14 feet (foot = 0.305 meters) and weigh up to 400 pounds (pound = 0.454 kilograms). However, this information was obtained by the author secondhand - from the words of the local population - he personally did not have evidence to confirm such data. The good famous book about the fish of the world McCormick expresses doubts about the reliability of these stories. After reviewing all available and more or less reliable information, he concludes that members of the Arapaima species never exceed 9 feet in length, a fairly substantial size for a freshwater fish.

My own experience convinced me that McCormick was right. The animals we caught in Rio Pacay averaged 6 feet in length. most big fish turned out to be a female 7 feet long and weighing 300 pounds. Obviously, the illustration from the old editions of Brehm's Animal Life, which depicted an Indian sitting on the back of a pyrarucu, 12 to 15 feet long, should be considered sheer fantasy.

The distribution of arapaima in certain areas of the river apparently depends more on the vegetation growing there than on the nature of the water itself. For fish, a heavily indented coast with a wide strip of coastal floating plants is needed, which, intertwined, form floating meadows.

For this reason alone, rivers fast current, like the Amazon, are unsuitable for the existence of arapaima. The bottom of the Amazon always remains smooth and uniform, so there are few floating plants, the ones that are usually tangled among shrubs and hanging branches.

On Rio Pacai we found arapaima in backwaters, where, in addition to floating meadows of aquatic grasses, floating mimosas and hyacinths grew. In other places, these species may have been replaced by floating ferns, victoria-regia, and some others. The giant fish is invisible between the plants.

It is perhaps not surprising that arapaims prefer to breathe air rather than the oxygen of the swampy waters in which they live.

Photo 16.

Arapaima's manner of inhaling air is very characteristic. When it comes to the surface big fish, first a whirlpool forms on the water surface. Then suddenly the fish itself appears with its mouth open. She quickly releases air, making a clicking sound, inhales fresh air and immediately sinks into the depths.

According to the whirlpool formed on the surface of the water, fishermen hunting for arapaima determine where to throw the harpoon. They throw their heavy gun right in the middle of the whirlpool and in most cases they miss the target. But the point is that giant fish often lives in small reservoirs, 60-140 meters long, and whirlpools are constantly formed here, and therefore, the likelihood of a harpoon hitting an animal increases. Adults appear on the surface every 10-15 minutes, young ones more often.

Having reached a certain size, arapaima moves to the fish table, specializing mainly in bottom armored fish. In the stomachs of arapaim most often come across prickly needles pectoral fins these fish.

In Rio Pakai, obviously, the conditions for the life of arapaima are the most favorable. The fish living here reach maturity within four to five years. By this time they are about six feet long and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. It is believed (although not proven) that some, and possibly all, adults breed twice a year.

Once I was lucky enough to watch a pair of arapimes preparing to spawn. Everything happened in the clear and still waters of the quiet bay of Rio Pakai. The behavior of arapaima during spawning and their further care for offspring is truly an amazing sight.

Photo 17.

In all likelihood, the spawning hole in the soft clay bottom of the fish is pulled out by mouth. In the quiet bay where we made our observations, the fish chose to spawn at a depth of only five feet below the surface. For several days, the male was within this place, and the female almost all the time kept 10-15 meters from him.

The young, hatched from the eggs, remain in the hole for about seven days. Next to them is constantly a male, either circling over the hole, or perched on the side. After that, the fry rise to the surface, relentlessly following the male and keeping in a dense flock near his head. Under the supervision of the father, the whole flock floats to the surface at once to inhale the air-Spirit.

At the age of seven to eight days, the fry begin to feed on plankton. Watching the fish through the still waters of our quiet bay, we did not notice that the fish were rearing young growth "in vtu", that is, they would take the fish in their mouths in a moment of danger. There were also no signs that the larvae feed on a substance secreted from the platelike gills located on the heads of the parents. The local population makes a clear mistake, assuming that the young are fed by parental "milk".

In November 1959, I was able to count 11 schools of young fish in a lake of about 160 acres (an acre is about 0.4 hectares). They swam close to the shore and parallel to it. The flocks seemed to avoid the wind. This is probably due to the fact that the waves formed by the wind make it difficult to inhale air from the surface of the water.

We decided to see what would happen to a flock of fish if it suddenly lost its parents, and caught them. The orphaned fish, having lost contact with their parents, obviously lost contact with each other. The tight flock began to disintegrate and eventually dispersed. After some time, we noticed that the juveniles in other flocks differ significantly from each other in size. Such a large contrast could hardly be explained by the fact that the same generation of fish developed differently. Apparently, other Arapaima adopted orphans. Expanding the circle of swimming after the death of their parents, the orphaned flock of fish spontaneously mixed with neighboring groups.

Photo 18.

On the head of the arapaima there are glands very interesting structure. Outside, they have a number of small, tongue-like protrusions, at the ends of which, with a magnifying glass, tiny holes can be discerned. Through these openings, the mucus formed in the glands is secreted.

The secretion of these glands is not used as food, although this would seem to be the simplest and most obvious explanation for its purpose. It performs much more important functions. Here is an example. When we pulled the male out of the water, the flock accompanying him for a long time remained in the same place from which he had disappeared. And one more thing: a flock of juveniles gathers around a gauze pad, previously soaked in the secretions of the male. From both examples, it follows that the male secretes a relatively stable substance, thanks to which the whole group is held together.

At the age of two and a half - three and a half months, flocks of young animals begin to disintegrate. By this time, the bond between parents and children is weakening.

Photo 19.

Residents of the village of Medio Jurua display gutted piraruca at Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012. Piraruku is the largest freshwater fish South America.
REUTERS/Bruno Kelly

Photo 20.

Photo 21.

The waters of the Amazon are even more teeming dangerous monsters that will not leave you the slightest chance. Still want to visit this place? For you, we have prepared a list of the 10 most dangerous animals that live in this river.

black caiman

This is the jock in the world of alligators. The largest individuals reach 6 meters in length. Such creatures have the reaction of a mongoose and the strength of a tiger. Most dangerous predators Amazons who will tear to shreds anyone who falls into their huge maws.

Anaconda

Another huge predator that lives in local waters is the anaconda. This is the largest snake in the world, weighing up to 250 kilograms. Anacondas are 9 meters long and 30 centimeters in diameter. If such a creature wraps itself around a person, he will no longer be saved. These monsters love shallow water, so they spend most of their time in the tributaries of the river.


Arapaima

These giants have armored scales, so even piranhas are nothing to them. Arapaim hunt mainly for smaller fish and birds, but are not averse to eating human beings. Fish grow up to three meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. The monsters are so ferocious that they even have teeth on their tongues.


brazilian otter

Even the otters here are gigantic. These 2-meter animals prey on fish and crabs. However, strength is in numbers: straying into flocks, they kill adult anacondas and even caimans. If for these creatures, which are called river wolves, it is not a problem to kill such strong animals, then people for them are just a snack.


common vandellia(Brazilian vampire)

Small individuals enter the human body through the anus, vaginal opening and even through the penis. Having settled inside the body, they can cause hellish pain. The poor fellows, who have felt such torment, pray to doctors for salvation.

bull sharks

Such cute little animals most often live in salty ocean water. Unfortunately, sometimes they swim into fresh waters and terrify the locals. Their jaws provide a bite force of 589 kilograms. After meeting with them, usually no one survived.


electric eels

I wouldn't recommend taking these babies. Two-meter eels can hit the victim with a charge of up to 600 volts. And this, by the way, is almost 3 times more than in your outlet. It seems like a killer tension, but it's not.

It's not the discharge that kills. The victim simply stops breathing from pain shock and she sinks in the water.


common piranha

These little critters often feature in Hollywood horror films. And it's not without reason that they have gained fame as ruthless killers. The sharp teeth of these fish close and tear the flesh to shreds.

It is noteworthy that piranhas are scavengers. But they do not disdain to eat fresh meat.


Mackerel hydrolic

These underwater bloodsuckers have truly vampire fangs. Only these fangs are found on the lower jaw of hydrolytics. The victim is impaled on them, as if on a stake, and can no longer escape anywhere. There are even special holes in the palate of hydrolics to hide such long fangs.


brown pacu

These fish with human smiles are relatives of the piranhas mentioned earlier. Although the pacu prefer fruits and nuts, they are not averse to biting someone. There were cases when these stupid fish literally gnawed off the testicles of men swimming naked. I would never want to be in their place.


The beautiful and majestic Amazon is fraught with many dangers. It attracts lovers of extreme recreation, who pay for the experience with their health and even life.

Amazon is the most big river on planet Earth, its waters and coastal areas are home to a huge number of different animals. There are both small and beautiful birds, and deadly snakes, wild cats. Some animals are dangerous to humans, but get along well with each other. We present you the ten most common and terrifying animals of the Amazon.

Jaguar

piranhas

Spotted dart frog

electric eel

bull shark

Anaconda

black caiman

Arapaima

brazilian otter

Is one of natural wonders our planet. In terms of world fame, the river competes with the Indian Ganges and the Egyptian Nile. The unique ecosystem of the longest water artery on earth (more than 7 thousand km from the source) attracts lovers of exotic, brightness tropical flora and fauna, and ordinary tourists - lovers of natural beauties. In the vast expanses of the Amazon, surprising with the richness of flora and fauna, about 1.5 million of the most diverse species of plants and animals live; this corner of the planet can, without exaggeration, be called the world's genetic fund. According to scientists, there are more than 1,800 species of birds, 250 species of diverse mammals, about 2,000 different species of fish, and countless various invertebrates and insects (many of which are still unknown to the scientific world) per 10 km² of tropical forest.

The Amazon Basin, which contains 10 longest rivers of the world, together with all tributaries, occupies approximately 40% of the territory.

In essence, these are humid jungles and swamps stretching along the equator, so the climatic conditions throughout the lowland are almost the same. The Amazon Basin is the largest tropical wetland in the world. evergreen forest, whose climate is hot and humid, the air temperature is stable throughout the year, it constantly stays + 25-28 ° C, even at night t almost never drops below + 20 ° C.

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Fauna

AT tropical forests There are many rare species of animals, and some of them are on the verge of extinction. Among such animals, mention should be made of the baker, spider monkey, sloth, armadillo, caiman freshwater dolphin, crocodile, boa.

Near the shores of the Amazon there is a tapir, an excellent swimmer, although his body weight can reach 200 kg. Tapir most often moves along the paths near the river, it feeds on algae, as well as leaves, twigs and fruits of coastal plants.

Near the rivers you can often meet the world's largest rodent - capybarawhose weight reaches up to 50 kg, and outwardly the animal resembles guinea pig. Animals coming to the watering hole near the shore are guarded by anacondas (a species of the largest snakes from the subfamily of boas), which also hunt in the water, it is not for nothing that they are also called water boas. An anaconda can even strangle a caiman (Spanish: Cayman, a genus of reptiles of the alligator family).

One of the very dangerous inhabitants of the jungle, and, at the same time, a water-loving member of the cat family, is the jaguar, which is called "d'iaguar" ("Like us").

The incredible number of birds living in the river basin is staggering; nowhere else in the world can one find such a number and species diversity of birds. Most of Birds feed on insects, which in turn feed on plants. Plants, trying to protect themselves from voracious insects, produce various potent, most often poisonous substances, most of which have medicinal qualities. Therefore, the jungle can be safely called a storehouse of medicinal plants used in scientific and folk medicine.

Among the forest birds, one can note the forest falcon, the toucan, the macaw parrot, the bald parrot, the fly-eater, the hummingbird, and the gaviao bird of prey.

Among insects, there are over 1800 species of butterflies and more than 200 species of mosquitoes.

In general, in the Amazonian jungle, whose territory is more than 6 million km² and covers 9 countries of South America, there are as many different organisms as there are not on any "piece" of our planet. A huge number of diverse trees make it possible to rightfully call the Amazon jungle the "Tree of Life". In fact, each tree is home to over 400 species of insects alone! In the dense crowns of trees, among the vines, monkeys, birds, snakes and the bats. Did you know that almost 50% of all living organisms known to scientists today live in the Amazon basin, every year this tropical world gives us more and more new varieties of plants and animals, hitherto unknown.

The rainforest is divided into peculiar tiers in which they live different kinds, many animals do not even move vertically, all the time being in their natural niche. One of these unique animals Amazonian sloth, which, justifying its name, practically does not move, it constantly hangs on branches or on vines. Interestingly, these animals are completely unable to move on the ground, they can neither walk nor stand, but sloths are wonderful swimmers.

On one of the islands, located in the middle of the river, on an area of ​​​​more than 800 hectares, there is a unique eco-park, in which sick and confiscated monkeys are given the opportunity to adapt to the environment. wild environment. The island contains more than 20 species of primates, there are quite rare species that cannot be seen in any zoo in the world. This exceptional nature reserve was created for environmental purposes, as well as science Center involved in the study of primates.

- an irreplaceable natural ecosystem, which today is threatened with extinction due to massive cutting down of trees. The ruthless exploitation of forests leads to soil erosion and the death of many plant and animal species. Now it is extremely rare to find here Amazonian otter(lat. Ptesonura brasilensis). The list of endangered species has already included mahogany (Spanish: Rio Palenque) and a unique brazilian rosewood(Palisander Rosewood) with amazingly beautiful wood, from which expensive furniture is made.

The waters of the Amazon are rich in river inhabitants: the number and variety of representatives of the river depths is simply amazing, but this is not surprising, because only one of the tributaries of the river carries more water than all European rivers combined!

Underwater inhabitants of the Amazon

According to scientists, tens of millions of years ago, there was a sea on the site of the Amazon, dividing the South American mainland into northern and southern parts. Due to land formation processes, this area began to slowly rise, sea ​​water gradually desalinated, and the ancestors of some of today's inhabitants of the Amazon managed to adapt to fresh river water.

Such inhabitants include: a massive bull fish (reaching a length of 4 m and a weight of more than 500 kg.) And a typical sea fish - a stingray. Interestingly, the spine of the Pink Dolphin's neck is not fused together, making it able to bend its neck at right angles to its body.

Rich animal world The Amazon is also represented by freshwater white river dolphin inia (lat. Inia geoffrensis) and nutria (in Europe, this animal is specially bred on fur farms).

The diversity of fish species found in the Amazon and its tributaries is simply amazing. By the way, many popular aquarium fish, for example, swordtails, guppies, angelfish and armored catfish come from here. Only in the Amazon basin are fish such as tambakui (Spanish Tambaqui, lat. Colossoma macropomum) - an omnivorous predator that grows up to 90 cm long, feeding on seeds and fruits of rubber trees that fall into the water; protopters (lat. Protopterus) - view lungfish, one of the last on the planet; as well as Arawana fish (Spanish Arawana, lat. Osteoglossum bicirrhosum), reaching a length of up to 1 m, which, jumping out of the water, grabs insects from tree branches hanging over the river.

Herbivores include exotic wedge-belly fish, which can fly through the air more than 10 m, as well as very impressive (up to 4 meters), but completely harmless Arapaima, their rough tongue (the Indians use it instead of a grater, rubbing the roots) helps the manatees prevent excessive overgrowth of the river with algae.

In addition to herbivores, there are also many predators in the Amazon, it is impossible not to mention one of the most famous inhabitants of the Amazon, piranhas - small flat fish (13 - 40 cm long), unusually voracious, with a powerful lower jaw. The triangular teeth of piranhas are arranged in such a way that when the fish's mouth closes, they resemble the teeth of a gear. Piranhas lead predatory image life, they attack even large animals crossing the river. They are also dangerous for people: attracted by the smell of blood, flocks of these fish attack their prey, gnawing at the victim to the bones with lightning speed.

It should be noted that, despite the frightening reputation, not all types of piranhas are so terrible: only 4 out of 18 are dangerous for humans. modern species. But it is better not to mess with carnivorous piranhas. It is a little reassuring that this fish, which has a small mouth, is not able to bite off large pieces, so real danger represent flocks of piranhas.

As you know, piranhas feel blood in the water at a great distance. Sensing the prey, the flock frantically rushes to it, and if the animal is carelessly within reach, the fish deal with it in a matter of minutes. So, in 1981, the most monstrous world record was set by red piranhas: a ferry sank near the city of Obidos (), and more than 300 people were eaten alive by a flock of fish in a few minutes.

It is not very pleasant to meet a giant Amazonian crocodile - caiman, a relative of the North American alligator. The caiman is especially dangerous because this animal is a real genius of disguise, it is not easy to immediately identify the floating “log”. Often he moves with a "wreath" of water hyacinth adorning his head.

Fish like flathead catfish(lat. Phractocephalus hemioliopterus) and haraki (Spanish: Jaraqui, main commercial fish Amazons) due to the ability to vibrate the swim bladder by muscle contraction, are able to make shrill sounds. The Amazonian flathead catfish can reach over 2 m in length and up to 80 kg. weight, this fish makes loud trumpet sounds, similar to the roar of an elephant, which are carried over the water at a distance of up to 100 m. And the males of the haraki during spawning make a very loud sound, reminiscent of the noise of a running motorcycle engine. The abundance and diversity of "singing" fish in the Amazon is apparently due to the significant amount of humus and limestone impurities in the river. In conditions of high turbidity of river waters, visual communication of fish becomes difficult, so they use sounds.

The Amazonian spatter fish can be safely sent to the Olympics, because the accuracy of its “shooting” is beyond the head - the “spit” of the archer, mind you, from under the water, hits exactly the target (usually an insect) from a distance of more than 1.5 m!

Many amazing animals are found in the Amazon, there is a “mammalian” fish here, along the sides of which there are glands that secrete a liquid similar to milk. The young generation of this amazing fish feeds on its mother's "milk".

Completely unique electric eel found in the underwater thickets of the river. In addition to the fact that he has special organs capable of producing a "discharge" up to 600 V, the stingray also has a radar. Just a unique mobile power plant!

The list of unique fish and aquatic animals living in the Amazon is endless!

Dangerous animals of the Amazon

The amazing world of wild flora and fauna reigning in the zone of the world's largest river may be unsafe for people. After all, poisonous and dangerous animals are found everywhere in the Amazon basin.

In addition to the aforementioned Amazonian piranha, vampire fish, and jaguars, there are various Poisonous snakes, frogs and spiders. These animals are dangerous and, at the same time, very rare species.

frogs

The frogs that live on the coast, as well as in the forests of the Amazon Basin, undoubtedly deserve special mention:

• "Ranitomeya summersi" (lat.) - a genus of frogs from the order of tailless amphibians, poison dart frogs (they live in tropical forests). This is a poisonous species of frog, discovered in Peru recently, in 2008. The frog is distinguished by unique bright orange patterns that cover its entire body, and a "black mask" that hides its eyes.
• "Ameerega pepperi" (lat.) - also a species poison frog, found in Peru in 2009, with an unusually bright skin color (bright green with hints of blue).
• "Osteocephalus yasuni" is another species unusual frogs, which were discovered in the last century (in 1999). The habitat of this frog is the Amazon basin in Colombia, Peru and.
• "Ranitomeya benedict" - dwarf poison dart frog, this tiny tree frog lives in low-lying rain forests, is very poisonous and dangerous. It was first found in 2008 in Peru. In addition to being very beautiful, the frog is also useful: frog venom is used in medicine as an effective pain reliever.
• "Hypsiboas liliae" - a unique frog, of the rarest kind. It is bright green in color, with large, strongly bulging eyes and iridescent blue skin on the abdomen.
• "Nymfargus wileyi" - unusual interesting view frogs, first found in Ecuador. The frog is distinguished by the fact that it has a green color and such transparent skin on the abdomen that all the internal organs of an amphibian are clearly visible through it (for which they were nicknamed "glass frogs").
• "Osteocephalus castaneicola" - this frog, first discovered in Bolivia quite recently, in 2009. The frog has a silver-gray skin with a fashionable "tiger" pattern on the paws.

The Amazon River Basin is not without reason considered one of the most dangerous places in a world where there are a huge number of predators. I invite you to find out what is found in the waters of the Amazon, and why this place is considered so life-threatening.

black caiman

We can say that this is an alligator on steroids, their muscles are much larger, and they can grow up to six meters in length. These are undoubtedly the top predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat anyone who comes across their path.

Anaconda

2

Another giant monster The Amazon is the well-known anaconda, the largest snake in the world. The weight of a female anaconda can reach 250 kilograms, and this is with a length of 9 meters and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow water, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

3

The huge arapaima predator is equipped with armored scales, so it fearlessly swims among piranhas, eating fish and birds. The length of these terrible fish is almost three meters, and the weight is 90 kilograms.

brazilian otter

4

Brazilian otters grow up to 2 meters in length and feed mainly on fish and crabs. However, the fact that they always hunt in large groups allows them to successfully get more serious prey: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they are called "river wolves".

Common vandellia or candiru

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bull shark

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Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel just as great in fresh water. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far along the Amazon that they reached the city of Iquitos (Peru), located almost 4 thousand kilometers from the sea. Considering that sharp teeth and powerful jaws provide these 3-meter creatures with a bite force of 589 kilograms, you definitely would not want to meet them, but they are not averse to feasting on a person!

electric eels

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We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with a voltage of up to 600 volts. And this is 5 times the current in an American outlet and enough to easily knock a horse down. Repeated strikes by these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, causing people to lose consciousness and simply drown in the water.

common piranha

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It is difficult to imagine more terrible and ferocious creatures, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have repeatedly inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films. However, in fairness, it is worth noting that piranhas are primarily scavengers. But, unfortunately, this does not mean at all that they do not attack healthy creatures. Their incredibly sharp teeth, located on the upper and lower jaws, close very tightly, which makes them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel hydrolic

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These meter underwater inhabitants also called vampire fish. On the lower jaw they have two sharp fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices to literally impale the victim on them after they rush at it. The fangs of these fish are so large that nature had to take care of the safety of the hydrolics themselves. So that they do not pierce themselves with them, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

brown pacu

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A fish with human teeth, the brown pacu is a larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater prefer fruits and nuts, although they are generally considered omnivores. The problem is that "stupid" pacu are unable to tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitalia, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.