Who lives in the Amazon River? What is the name of the largest fish in the Amazon? The most dangerous monsters from the Amazon (10 photos) What fish live in the Amazon names

The Amazon rainforest is a vast ecosystem that provides habitat for such strange and beautiful creatures as the jaguar, the poison dart frog, and helmed basilisk. But this environment is home to more than just animals that prowl, swing and slide through the trees. IN troubled waters the Amazon River itself deep river All over the world, there are such amazing and terrible creatures that the sight of their jaws is more terrible than some jaws floating in the marine environment.

10. Black caimans (lat. Melanosuchus niger)

Photo. Black caiman

The black caiman is like an alligator on steroids. It can grow up to six meters in size and has a larger, heavier skull than the same Nile crocodile, placing it at the top of the food chain in Amazonian waters. What this means is that they are primarily kings of rivers, eating almost anything they can get their teeth on, including groupers, piranhas, monkeys, anacondas and deer.

And, of course, they are capable of attacking people, which happens periodically. In early 2010, biologist Diis Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat, and although she managed to fight it off, she lost one of her legs. This particular caiman had been waiting for her under the houseboat for nine months, apparently waiting to strike.

9. Giant anacondas(lat. Eunectes murinus)

Photo. Green anaconda

Continuing the topic of gigantic reptiles, we should remember the big snake all over the world, living in the Amazon: anaconda. Although reticulated pythons are actually considered to be the longest snakes, green anacondas are much heavier; females are generally larger than their male counterparts and are capable of growing up to nine meters (over 29 feet) in length, gaining 250 kilograms (550 pounds) in weight, and reaching 30 centimeters (12 inches) in diameter. Is not Poisonous snakes, but instead of venom, they rely on their enormous muscular strength to squeeze and strangle their prey, which can include capybaras, caiman, deer and even jaguar. She likes shallow water, which allows her to stealthily sneak up on her prey. As a rule, these snakes live in the tributaries of the Amazon, and not in the main channel of the river.

8. Arapaima (lat. Arapaima)

Photo. Caught arapaima

Arapaima, according to the IGFA world record, is the largest fish living in water bodies. Arapaima, also known as "pirarucu" or "paiche", are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and nearby lakes. Being studded with armored scales, they do not hover and live in waters saturated with piranhas, since they are quite agile predators that eat fish and randomly passing birds. As a rule, arapaima are located near the surface because they need to breathe regular air and also obtain oxygen from the water using their gills. They make a characteristic cough when they appear on the surface. The arapaima's proximity to the surface of the water makes it vulnerable to human hunters, who can easily attack with harpoons. Some indigenous communities consume the meat and tongue of the arapaima, turning it into jewelry and other items.

They grow up to 2.6 meters in size and weigh around 90 kilograms (200 pounds). These fish are so dangerous that even their tongue is studded with teeth.

7. Giant otters (lat. Pteronura brasiliensis)

Photo. Giant otter

The name itself says it all, these animals are very large, and they are indeed very large otters. They are the longest of the 13 otter species, with adult males measuring up to two meters (more than six feet) in length (from head to tail end). It is difficult to distinguish between male and female giant otters because there is no fundamental difference in head or body size. This species can make up to nine different sounds and it can be very loud.

Their diet primarily consists of crabs and fish, which they catch in family groups of two to seven individuals, and are capable of eating up to four kilograms (nine pounds) of seafood in a day. Don't be fooled by their cute faces, they are more deserving of being on this list than any other animal as they have been observed to kill and eat anacondas in groups. They are also capable of giving a serious rebuff to a caiman. One day, a family of otters was spotted eating a 1.5-metre (5-foot) caiman, which took them approximately 45 minutes. Although their numbers are declining, largely due to human activity, they are one of the most advanced predators in tropical forest Amazonia.

6. Common Vandellia (lat. Vandellia cirrhosa)

Photo. Kandiru

However, candiru prefer other fish; with the help of spines they attach themselves inside the gills of larger individuals and feed on the blood of their host.

5. Blunt sharks (lat. Carcharhinus leucas)

Photo. Snout shark

Considering that, technically, animals that live in the ocean cannot be in fresh water, this does not apply to blunt-nosed sharks, since they thrive in both sea (salt) and river (fresh) water. They were found very far in the depths of the Amazon, almost 4,500 kilometers (2,800 miles) from the sea. This fish has special kidneys that can recognize differences in salinity and adapt accordingly. And you definitely don’t want to meet such a fish in river water. They typically grow to a size of 3.1 meters, and these sharks have been reported to weigh 312 kilograms (690 pounds). Like many sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular-shaped teeth and extremely powerful jaws, capable of clenching with a force of 589 kilograms (1,300 pounds). It's also worth mentioning that this species of shark is particularly unfriendly towards humans, as they are one of the top three sharks that attack humans most often (along with great white and tiger sharks). Also given their habit of swimming near densely populated areas, this has led many experts to call them.

4. Electric eels (lat. Electrophorus electricus)

Photo. Experiments with the electric eel

In fact, the electric eel is much closer to catfish than to eels, but you probably don't want to be near one to find out. Reaching a size of 2.5 meters (8 feet), they are capable of generating discharges of electricity using special cells, called electrocytes, located on the sides. These electrical discharges can reach up to 600 volts, this discharge is enough to cause a horse to give way and fall. While shock alone is not enough to kill the average healthy person, multiple shocks can cause the heart and lungs to collapse, and shock is usually what causes people to drown. That's why .

Most of the disappearances reported in the Amazon have been linked to eels, which put their victims into a state of shock and leave them to drown in the river. Fortunately for us, this type of eel tends to adhere to a diet consisting of amphibians, fish, small mammals and birds. They find their prey by emitting small 10-volt electrical discharges from their electrocytes, after which they stun or kill them.

3. Common piranhas(lat. Pygocentrus nattereri)

Photo. Piranha

This is the true horror of the Amazon River, this animal is so feared that it has inspired many dubious Hollywood films. But in fact, the common (red-bellied) piranha feeds on carrion. But this does not mean that they are not capable of attacking living beings; after all, it is worth considering that they are capable of growing in length over 30 centimeters (12 inches) and swimming in a composition large groups. Like all piranhas, red-bellied piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth, lined up in a single row on each of their powerful lower and upper jaws. These teeth compress with great force, which is why they are ideal weapons for tearing and eating flesh. Their fearsome reputation is largely fueled by rumors of their "mad feast", where a group of piranhas gather around an unlucky victim and devour him to the bone in a matter of minutes. Such attacks rarely occur and are usually the result of starvation or provocation.

2. Payara (vampire fish, lat. Hydrolycus armatus)

Photo. Payara teeth

Anything called a “vampire fish” is automatically associated with a scary animal, and the payara is no exception. These fish are incredibly ferocious predators, capable of eating fish up to half their size. Considering that they can reach up to 1.3 meters (four feet) in length, this does not mean that this is the limit. They mainly like to eat piranhas, which may give you some insight into how tough these sharp-toothed beasts can be. They got their name from the two fangs growing from lower jaw and they are capable of growing up to 14 centimeters (six inches) in length. The fish use them to literally impale their prey, and then viciously tear them to pieces. In fact, their fangs are so large that they have special holes in the upper jaw designed to prevent themselves from being pierced.

This voracious carnivore is fast and aggressive. They usually small fish left in the mouth, and then skillfully maneuvering they begin to swallow. However, if the prey is too large, payaras may cut it into smaller pieces first and then swallow it.

1. Pacu (lat. Colossoma macropomum)

Photo. Paku teeth

Certainly more dangerous to males than females, this animal is the pacu, which is larger than its closest relative, the piranha, and is known for its distinctive human-like teeth. They are very similar to the piranha, but have flatter, stronger teeth designed for crushing, and one fisherman reportedly died after having his testicles bitten off.

Fish expert Henrik Karl said pacu are not usually dangerous to people, but they do have a "pretty serious bite". He said: “There have been cases in other countries, such as Papau New Guinea, where some men have had their testicles bitten off. They bite because they are hungry, and the testicles are good for that. They usually eat nuts, fruits and fish, but human testicles are just a natural target."

Oh, and don't worry if you can't get to the Amazon to see these monsters, they can already be found in Europe, where they have already begun to breed.

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

It’s even strange how little has been done so far to deepen our knowledge of the biology and behavior of the arapaima. For years it was mercilessly fished 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 or thought about preserving it. The schools of fish seemed inexhaustible. And only when the number of fish began to noticeably decrease did interest in it appear.

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

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

In the photo: a 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, September 3, 2012.

In Brazil, giant fish were placed in ponds in the hope that they would take root there. In eastern Peru, in the jungles of Loreto province, certain areas of rivers and a number of lakes are left as a reserve fund. Fishing here is allowed only with a license from the ministry. Agriculture.

Arapaima lives throughout the Amazon basin. To the east it is found in two areas separated by the black and acidic waters of the Rio Negro. There are no arapaima in the Rio Negro, but the river does not seem to be an insurmountable barrier for the fish. Otherwise, one would have to assume the existence of two species of fish, having different origins and those living north and south of this river.

The western area of ​​distribution of the arapaima is probably Rio Moro, to the east of it is Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi, where a huge amount of fish is found. This is Peru's second protected breeding and observation pond for arapaima.

An adult arapaima is colored very picturesquely: the color of its back varies from bluish-black to metallic green, its belly - from cream to greenish-white, its sides and tail are silver-gray. Each of its huge scales shimmers in every possible shade of red (in Brazil the fish is called pirarucu, which means red fish).

Rocking 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 like a whirlpool, and the mouth of a giant fish stuck out, exhaling air with a whistle. The fishermen looked in shock at the monster, twice the height of a man, covered with a scaly shell. And the giant splashed his blood-red tail - and disappeared into the depths...

If a Russian fisherman told such a thing, he would immediately be laughed at. Who is not familiar with fishing tales: either a giant fish falls off a hook, or the local Nessie appears in your dreams. But in the Amazon, meeting a giant is a reality.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish. There were specimens 4.5 m long! Nowadays you don't see such people. Since 1978, the record has been held in the Rio Negro River (Brazil), where an arapaima was caught with data of 2.48 m - 147 kg (the price of a kilogram of tender and delicious meat, which has almost no bones, far exceeds the monthly income of Amazonian fishermen. IN North America it can be seen in antique stores).

This strange creature looks like a representative of the era of dinosaurs. Yes, it is true: a living fossil has not changed in 135 million years. The tropical Goliath has adapted to the swampy swamps of the Amazon basin: a bladder attached to the esophagus acts like a lung, the arapaima pokes out of the water every 10-15 minutes. She, as it were, “patrolls” the Amazon basin, captures small fish in her mouth and grinds them with the help of a bony, rough tongue ( local residents use it as sandpaper).

These giants live in freshwater bodies South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon River basin (in the Rio Moro, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi rivers). A huge number of arapaima are found in these places. There is not much of this fish in the Amazon itself, because... she prefers quiet rivers with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A body of water with rugged banks and a large number of floating plants is an ideal place for its habitat and existence.

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

Previously, arapaima was 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, there are areas of rivers and lakes that are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only with a license from the Ministry of Agriculture. And even then in limited quantities.

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 part. For this, local residents gave the fish another name - pirarucu, which translates as “red fish”. The fish themselves have different colors - from “metallic green” to bluish-black.

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

The breathing style of this fish cannot be confused 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 in this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts literally a couple of seconds. She releases the “old” air and takes a new sip, her mouth suddenly closes and goes into the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones - a little more often.

These fish have special glands on their heads that secrete special mucus. But you’ll find out what it’s for a little later.

These giants feed on bottom fish, and sometimes they can snack on small animals, such as birds. For juveniles, the main dish is freshwater shrimp.

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

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

Once upon a time, the meat of these monsters was the staple food of the peoples of the Amazon. Since the late 1960s, arapaima have disappeared completely in many rivers: after all, only large fish were killed with a harpoon, but nets made it possible to catch small ones. The government has banned the sale of arapaima less than one and a half meters long, but the taste, which can only be rivaled by trout and salmon, pushes people to break the law. Breeding arapaima in artificial pools with heated water is promising: they grow as much as five times faster than carp!

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

The literature of past legions significantly exaggerates the size of the arapaima. These exaggerations began, to some extent, with the descriptions of R. Chaumbourk in the book “Fishes of British Guiana,” written after a trip to Guiana in 1836. Shom-Bourke writes that the fish can reach a length of 14 feet (ft = 0.305 meters) and weigh up to 400 pounds (pound = 0.454 kilograms). However, this information was received by the author second-hand - from the words of the local population - he personally did not have evidence to support such data. In a well-known book on the fishes of the world, McCormick expresses doubts about the reliability of these stories. After analyzing all the available and more or less reliable information, he comes to the conclusion that representatives of the arapaima species never exceed a length of 9 feet - a fairly respectable size for a freshwater fish.

On own experience I was convinced that McCormick was right. The animals we caught in Rio Pacaya 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 old editions of Brem's book Animal Life, which depicted an Indian sitting on the back of a pirarucu, 12 to 15 feet long, should be considered an obvious fantasy.

The distribution of arapaima in certain areas of the river seems to depend more on the vegetation growing there than on the nature of the water itself. For fish, a strongly indented shore with a wide strip of coastal floating plants, which, intertwined, form floating meadows, is necessary.

For this reason alone, rivers with 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 here; those that exist are usually tangled among bushes and hanging branches.

On Rio Pacaya we found arapaima in backwaters where, in addition to floating meadows of aquatic grasses, floating mimosas and hyacinths grew. Elsewhere these species may have been replaced by floating ferns, Victoria regia and a few others. The giant fish between the plants is invisible.

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

The arapaima's way of inhaling air is very characteristic. When a large fish approaches the surface, a whirlpool first forms on the water surface. Then suddenly the fish itself appears with open mouth. She quickly releases air, making a clicking sound, and inhales Fresh air and immediately plunges into the depths.

Fishermen hunting for arapaima use the whirlpool that forms on the surface of the water to determine where to throw the harpoon. They throw theirs heavy weapon 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 bodies of water, 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 switches to the fish table, specializing mainly in bottom-shelled fish. The stomachs of arapaima most often contain barbed needles. pectoral fins these fish.

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

One day I was lucky enough to observe a pair of arapaima preparing for spawning. Everything happened in the clear and still waters of the quiet bay of Rio Pacai. The behavior of arapaima during spawning and their subsequent care of the offspring is truly an amazing sight.

In all likelihood, the fish dig out the spawning hole in the soft clay bottom with its mouth. In the quiet bay where we made observations, the fish chose a spawning site located only five feet below the surface. For several days the male remained within this place, and the female almost all the time stayed 10-15 meters away from him.

The young, having hatched from the eggs, remain in the hole for about seven days. A male is always near them, either circling above the hole or perched on the side. After this, 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 entire flock rises to the surface at once to inhale the air.

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 raised their young “into the mouth”, that is, they would take the fish into their mouths in a moment of danger. There was also no evidence that the larvae fed on the substance secreted from the plate-shaped gills located on the heads of the parents. The local population makes a clear mistake in assuming that the young animals feed on their parents’ “milk”.

In November 1959, I was able to count 11 schools of juvenile 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 be avoiding the wind. This is probably due to the fact that the waves generated by the wind make it difficult to inhale air from the surface of the water.

We decided to see what would happen to a school of fish if it suddenly lost its parents, and we caught them. The orphaned fish, having lost contact with their parents, have obviously lost contact with each other. The close flock began to break up and eventually dispersed. After some time, we noticed that the juveniles in other flocks differed 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 the orphans. Expanding their swimming circle after the death of their parents, the orphaned school of fish spontaneously mixed with neighboring groups.

On the head of the arapaima there are glands very interesting structure. On the outside, they have a whole series of small tongue-like protrusions, at the ends of which, with the help of a magnifying glass, tiny holes can be discerned. The mucus formed in the glands is released through these openings.

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

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

Residents of the village of Medio Jurua display a gutted piraruca at Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, September 3, 2012. Pirarucu is the largest freshwater fish in South America.

While fishing, residents of the village of Medio Jurua caught a caiman in a net. Villagers go fishing for pirarucu on Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, September 3, 2012. Pirarucu is the largest freshwater fish in South America.

The Amazon Rain Forest is a vast ecosystem that provides habitat for creatures as strange and wonderful as the jaguar. poison frog and Jesus lizard. But the Amazon is home to more than just those animals that simply wander, swing and slide in the trees. In the depths of the Amazon River, itself big river in the world, there are living creatures that are so amazing and so terrifying that sometimes they seem even scarier than the creepy sea inhabitants.

Black Cayman

The black caiman looks like an alligator on steroids. They can grow up to six meters long, with larger, heavier skulls than Nile crocodiles, and are the top predator in Amazonian waters. This means they are kings of the river and will eat almost anything, including piranha, monkeys, deer and anaconda. And yes, they often attack people. In 2010, a biologist named Dace Nishimura was attacked by a caiman while cleaning fish on her houseboat. while she managed to fight him off, he took one of her legs with him. This particular caiman had been living under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for the chance to attack.

Green Anaconda
Continuing the theme of giant reptiles - the most big snake in the world lives in the Amazon: anaconda. While pythons are actually longer, the green anaconda is much heavier; females are larger than males and can reach 250 kilograms, grow to nine meters in length and reach 30 centimeters in diameter. They are not venomous, but instead use their muscles to constrict and strangle their prey, which includes capybara, deer, caiman, and even jaguars. Preferring shallower waters that allow them to sneak toward prey, anacondas tend to live in the branches of the Amazon rather than the river itself.

Arapaima
Arapaima are giant carnivorous fish that live in the Amazon and surrounding lakes. Encased in an armored casing, they don't have to worry about living in piranha-infested waters, as they are quite efficient predators themselves, feeding on fish and the occasional bird. Arapaima tend to stay close to the surface because they must inhale air in addition to the oxygen received through their gills. They make a distinctive coughing sound when they emerge to grab air. They can reach 2.7 meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms. These fish are so dangerous that even their tongues have teeth.

Giant otter
Giant otters are the longest members of the weasel family, with adult males reaching up to two meters from head to tail. Their diet primarily consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight members, and they can eat up to four kilograms of seafood per day. Their cute looks are deceiving as they are more than a match for the other animals on this list and are capable of hunting even an anaconda. Under certain conditions, they can easily protect themselves from caiman. One family of otters was seen devouring a 1.5m caiman, which took approximately 45 minutes. While their numbers are declining mainly due to human intervention, they are among the most dangerous predators in rain forest Amazons, receiving the local name “river wolves.”

Bull shark
Typically an ocean-dwelling marine animal, bull sharks are at home in fresh water. They were found deep in the Amazon, in Peru, which is almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. They have special kidneys that can sense changes in salinity surrounding water and adapt accordingly. And you don't want to meet one of them in the river. They tend to reach 3.3 meters in length and weigh up to 312 kilograms. Like all other sharks, they have several rows of sharp, triangular teeth and very strong jaws with a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also quite partial to humans, being one of the most frequently attacked humans (along with tiger sharks and great whites). Combined with the habit of living close to dense populated areas, this has led many experts to label bull sharks the most dangerous sharks in the world.

Electric eel
Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than simple eels. They can grow to 2.5 meters long and can generate charges of electricity from specialized cells called electrocytes. These shocks can reach up to 600 volts, which is enough to knock a horse off its feet. While shock alone is not enough to kill a healthy adult, shocks electric eel may cause breathing or heart problems and the person may drown. Many of the disappearances reported in the region have been attributed to eels that shocked their victims and left them drowning in the river. Luckily for us, eels tend to feed on fish, birds and small mammals. They locate their prey by sending out small, 10-volt blasts before killing them with larger blasts.

Piranhas
The most dangerous predator of the Amazon River, about which they even make horror films. The red-bellied piranha is primarily a scavenger. But that doesn't mean they won't attack healthy creatures, given that they can grow to over 30 centimeters and swim in large groups. Piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth, with one row on each of their strong upper and lower jaws. These teeth grip with tremendous force, making them ideal for tearing and tearing the flesh of their prey. Their fearsome reputation mainly comes from tales of their frantic attacks, where groups of piranhas attack their unlucky prey and tear them to shreds within minutes. These attacks are rare and usually result from starvation, or provocation.

Payara, vampire fish
Any creature with the name “vampire fish” should automatically be considered scary, and the payara is no exception. They are absolutely ferocious predators, capable of devouring fish up to half their own body size. Considering they can grow up to 1.2 meters long, this is no mean feat. A significant portion of their diet is made up of piranha, which should give you some idea of ​​how dangerous these villains can be. They get their name from the two fangs that grow from their lower jaw, reaching 15 centimeters in length. Payaras use their fangs to literally impale their prey after a lightning-fast strike. Their fangs are so large that vampire fish have special holes in their upper jaw to avoid impaling themselves.

Paku
Another inhabitant of the Amazon, which can be much more dangerous for men than for women. The pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, known for its distinctive sharp teeth. Unlike most of the creatures on this list, the pacu is actually omnivorous, with the majority of its diet consisting of fruits and nuts. Unfortunately for some pacu, "nuts" can mean more than just what falls from the trees. Yes, that's right: Paku sometimes bit off the testicles of male swimmers in Papua New Guinea after the fish apparently mistook their genitals for light snack. And don't worry that you can't head to the Amazon to see these monsters, because they're already spreading to Europe.

The waters of the Amazon are teeming with even more 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 living in this river.

Black caiman

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

Anaconda

Another huge predator that lives in local waters is the anaconda. This is the world's largest snake, 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 able to escape. These monsters love shallow water, so most spend time in the tributaries of the river.


Arapaima

These giants have armored scales, so they don’t even care about piranhas. Arapaima hunt mainly for smaller fish and birds, but they are not averse to eating human flesh. The 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 hunt fish and crabs. However, there is strength in numbers: when they gather in 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 humans are just a snack for them.


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 local residents. Their jaws provide a bite force of 589 kilograms. After meeting with them, usually no one survived.


Electric eels

I would not recommend picking up these babies. Two-meter eels can strike victims 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 the painful shock and drowns in the water.


Common piranhas

These little creatures often appear in Hollywood horror films. And it’s not without reason that they gained fame ruthless killers. The sharp teeth of these fish close together and tear the flesh to shreds.

It is noteworthy that piranhas are scavengers. But they do not hesitate to enjoy fresh meat.


Mackerel hydrolic

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


Brown pacu

These fish with human smiles are relatives of the previously mentioned piranhas. Although pacu prefer fruits and nuts, they are not averse to biting someone. There have been cases when these stupid fish literally chewed 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 their lives.

1. Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)
It is very unlikely that you will catch this specimen of fish, but there is always a chance. The arapaima, also known as the pirakuchu or paiche, is a huge carnivorous fish that can be found in the Amazon River and its surrounding lakes. Luckily, this prehistoric giant fish prefers to prey on other fish and birds rather than humans, and they are such effective predators that they can even live in piranha-infested waters. They usually stay close to the surface of the water because they need to take in extra oxygen through their gills. Arapaima can reach two and a half meters in length and weigh up to 90 kilograms and are the largest in the world freshwater fish.

2. Tambaki (Colossoma macropomum)
Also known as Pacu, Tambaqui are the seeds and fruits that this fish eats. A member of the piranha family, the species can reach up to one meter in length and weigh up to 45 kilograms. She is probably considered the most valuable fish in the region. The fish often feeds on rubber tree seeds and is usually found in the waters near Manaus in Brazil.

4. Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Perhaps the best known and most dangerous sea ​​creature Amazons, the pot-bellied piranha was depicted everywhere as one of the most dangerous fish in the popular Amazon River, this is actually not the case. The fish are mainly scavengers and can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. IN Hollywood films show that they eat their prey to the bones in a matter of minutes, in fact it's quite a rare event and usually only occurs when a school of fish has been starving for a very long time.

5. Armored Catfish
Characterized by bony plates covering their skin. Armored catfish, a member of the loricarid family, usually have a ventral suctermute with papillae on the lips that allow them to feed and breathe. The armored catfish is also known as the "Plek" different varieties The armored catfish can be found in the Amazon region. Fish can eat wood, but they cannot digest it and excrete undigested pieces of wood as waste.

6. Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Despite its name, the electric eel is not actually an eel, it is a fish. The electric eel can reach about two and a half meters in length and weigh about 22-23 kilograms. Adult electric eels deliver a shock that can reach 650 volts. This is quite enough to cause very severe damage to a person in the water, up to and including instant death. Usually lives at depth, in dirty soil. After its death, the eel can contain a strong electrical discharge for another 8 hours. Therefore, local residents living on the banks of the Amazon always try to avoid this type of fish.

7. Pancake ramps
The fish literally resembles pancakes. This species was discovered in 2012 in Rio Nanay near Iquitos, Peru. Freshwater stingrays are known to grow to approximately 450 kilograms and have more than 40 various types many of which are constantly found in the Amazon River.

8. Bull shark(Carcharhinus leucas)
Traditionally sea ​​fish, also known as the Bull Shark, has adapted to freshwater and is most often found in Brazil due to its proximity to the ocean. These smart creatures have developed special osmoregulatory kidneys that allow them to change the salinity of the water where they live. Their kidneys primarily process the vital salts they need throughout their body, allowing them to constantly move into freshwater areas.

9. Payara vampire fish (Hydrolycus scomberoides)
Payara or vampire fish can be found in most areas of the Amazon in Brazil, Bolivia, Peru and Ecuador. Known as extremely aggressive look fish (and vampire-like!). Vampire fish are most often found in fast-moving water and rapids, which usually makes them harder to spot. Fierce predators can eat fish up to half their body size, which is usually about one meter and weighs about 18 kilograms. Its striking feature is its two front fangs.

10. Peacock Bass or Tucunar Peacock Bass (Cichla Temensis)
Tucunar Peacock Bass are native to the Rio Negro, Huatuma and Orinocoin basins of northern South America. This special kind Basa is also known as: spotted pavon, spotted peacock or painted pavon. This is a very large South American cichlid and a very valuable fish. Reaches almost 1 meter in length and weighs more than 12 kg. Peacock bass are most often found in rapids and calm waters with average depth. They feed only on small fish, especially threadfin shad, mosquitoes, tilapia and blue fungus.