Hydrolycus armatus
| Hydrolycus armatus | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Not evaluated (IUCN 3.1) | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Cynodontidae |
| Genus: | Hydrolycus |
| Species: | H. armatus |
| Binomial name | |
| Hydrolycus armatus (Jardine, 1841) | |
Hydrolycus armatus is a species of dogtooth characin found in freshwater of tropical South America.[1] It is sometimes known as the payara,[2][3] a name it shares with the related H. scomberoides.
This predatory fish occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, but it requires a very large tank.[2]
Distribution and habitat
This species of fish is found in the Amazon and Orinoco River basins as well a rivers in Guyana.[1]
Description
A typically reported maximum size of this fish is 8.5 kg (19 lb) in weight and 75 cm (2.46 ft) in length,[1] but records from Venezuela show specimens up to 95 cm (3.12 ft).[3] It has frequently been confused with the generally smaller H. scomberoides.[2] Like other dogtooth characins, H. armatus has very long pointed canine teeth that can surpass 5 cm (2.0 in) in length in large individuals.[3] These are used for spearing their prey, usually other fish.[4]
References
- 1 2 3 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2017). "Hydrolycus armatus" in FishBase. January 2017 version.
- 1 2 3 SeriouslyFish: Hydrolycus armatus. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- 1 2 3 OPEFE: Payara Venezuela. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
- ↑ OPEFE: Hydrolycus. Retrieved 13 January 2017.