The Amazon pavilion

The arapaima, a freshwater giant reaching sizes of up to 4.5 meters, plays a vital role as a dominant predator in the Amazon basin. Equipped with thick and resilient scales that provide effective protection against predators, this iconic freshwater fish is threatened by overfishing. Juveniles breathe through their gills while adults often use their swim bladder to gulp air at the surface.

It must be kept in a good sized aquarium with efficient filtration, as it is used to chewing it food and scattering it. It is sometimes aggressive toward other species. It breeds easily in captivity. There are several varieties.

Small barbs located around its mouth enable it to search for food in the sand or mud. It goes regularly at the surface to breathe oxygen from the air. It acclimate easily to aquarium.

It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium even if it is sometimes aggressive towards other fish. After the eggs have been laid, it is necessary to separate the adults from the eggs. It is sometimes called "jewel" tetra because of its color and the dark spot in the middle of it body.

The female is stockier than the male. It easily accommodates to life in the aquarium. It is recommended to isolate the breeding pair. After spawning, remove the adult from the nesting site because they could eat the eggs and juveniles.

Its mouth, equipped with full lips, allows it to cling to various surfaces. It uses it rough tongue to scrape the algae growing on the rocks ... and on the glass of an aquarium. Warning, it measures a few centimeters when you bought it, but it can grow quickly.

It is one of the most known species to aquarists. It breeds easily in captivity, but it is too often taken from the wild. For several years, it has started to being raised in it home region. It became a source of income for local people.

Mostly herbivorous, appreciates the ripe fruits fallen from trees whose seeds it helps disperse. In the aquarium trade, it is sold under the name "herbivorous piranha". Because of its size, it is not recommended for specimens aquariums. It is bred in pisciculture.

The male is much smaller and more colorful than the female. It is an ovoviviparous species, the male fertilizes it partner through its anal fin which forms a kind of gutter. It is the most popular aquarium fish, there are many varieties.

The female is larger than the male. Fertilization is internal and it is an ovoviviparous species. After a "gestation" of 28 days, the female "gives birth" to a variable number of juveniles: between 20 and 150. There are many varieties of color, the most common is black.

It is accommodated to life in freshwater. It is ovoviviparous: the eggs hatch in it body, and it gives birth to fully formed juveniles. It acclimate easily in aquariums, but beware of the stings from its tail that can inflict very painful wounds.

Like many catfish species, it hunts at night. The female is larger than the male and lays huge amounts of eggs (8 million eggs per kilo). Because of its size and its diet, you should not keep it in a private aquarium.

The stripes of it body allow it to hide. Parents lay their eggs in the vegetation, and provide for their offspring long parental care (custody, ventilation ...). Very popular among aquarists: there are many color varieties obtained through breeding.

It is carnivorous, its sharp teeth have earned it the local name. (Pira = fish, Nha = tooth). Its dangerousness was often exaggerated: it serves as prey of many animals (alligators, giant otter ...). Piranhas are especially dangerous for humans in the dry season, when they lack food.

The pair defends its eggs and alevins against potential predators. The juveniles feed on the mucus secreted by the parents. Breeding in aquarium is possible, but complicated. There are many colorful varieties that sometimes reach exorbitant prices.

It is less aggressive than other species of American cichlids of the same size. A bump develops on the neck of the male. It is appreciated by aquarists for its rich colors, but it must be kept in a large aquarium (more than 1000 liters).