Arapaima
Arapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822)
The arapaima (Arapaima gigas), also called Pirarucu, is a bony fish in the family Arapaimidae and the order Osteoglossiformes. It belongs to the class Teleostei, phylum Chordata and kingdom Animalia, and its scientific name carries the authority (Schinz, 1822).
Quick facts about the arapaima
On the IUCN Red List, the arapaima is assessed globally as Data Deficient (DD).
- Weight
- Not recorded
- Length
- Not recorded
- Lifespan
- Not recorded
- Main food
- Not recorded
- Habitat
- freshwatersrc for Habitat
- Young per litter or clutch
- Not recorded
- Conservation status
- Data Deficient (IUCN)src for Conservation status
- Countries on record
- Not recorded
Photos of the arapaima
Only freely licensed photos are shown. Each carries its creator and licence.
Where does the arapaima live?
Not recorded
What is the arapaima?
Arapaima gigas, also known simply as Arapaima, pirarucu, or paiche, is a species of arapaima native to the basin of the Amazon River. Once believed to be the sole species in the genus, it is among the largest freshwater fish. It is the best-known species of Arapaimas.
From the Wikipedia article “Arapaima gigas” (en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Arapaima_gigas&oldid=1376693219), by Wikipedia contributors, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 (creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0). This block is kept separate from our own text.
Is the arapaima endangered?
The arapaima is listed as Data Deficient on the IUCN Red List: it has too little data for its risk to be assessed.
Category via Wikidata (CC0). Find the full assessment on the IUCN Red List. See all Data Deficient species.
How is the arapaima classified?
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- classTeleostei
- orderOsteoglossiformes
- familyArapaimidae
- genusArapaima
- SpeciesArapaima gigas (Schinz, 1822)
Synonyms Arapaema gigas, Arapaima gigas, Sudis gigas, Sudis gigas, Sudis pirarucu, Vastres arapaima, Vastres cuvieri
Other names and names in other languages (15)
- PirarucuEnglish
- PirarucuEnglish
- PaicheFrench
- ArapaïmaFrench
- pirarukuPolish
- ryba czerwonaPolish
- ปลาอะราไพม่าThai
- ปลาช่อนยักษ์อเมซอนThai
- ArapaymaTurkish
- 海象Chinese
- 大头巨骨舌鱼Chinese
- 巨骨舌魚Chinese
- 巨骨舌鱼Chinese
- 象魚Chinese
- 象鱼Chinese
Catalogue of LifeWikipediaITISTAXREFWikidataWoRMSIUCN Red List
Relatives of the arapaima
Other species in the same genus Arapaima.
CompareArapaima vs Slender arapaimaArapaima vs Agassiz's arapaimaArapaima vs Mapa arapaimaArapaima vs Vastres condaminei
Common questions
Each answer is written from the sourced facts on this page, and only where they hold the answer.
What kind of animal is the arapaima?
The arapaima is a fish, specifically a bony fish, in the family Arapaimidae.
What is the scientific name of the arapaima?
The scientific name of the arapaima is Arapaima gigas, placed in the genus Arapaima.
Is the arapaima endangered?
The arapaima is listed as Data Deficient (DD) in its global IUCN Red List assessment.
What is another name for the arapaima?
The arapaima is also called Pirarucu in English.
What order and class does the arapaima belong to?
The arapaima belongs to the order Osteoglossiformes and the class Teleostei.
Sources and how to cite this page
Data as of 2026-11-11. How this page is put together.
- Catalogue of Life eXtended Release · CC BY 4.0 · 2026-10-16 XR
Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf - Wikimedia Commons · per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed) · 2026-11-11
Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence). - Wikidata · CC0 1.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service). - Wikipedia (English) · CC BY-SA 4.0 · 2026-11-11
Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).
Embed a card for this animal on your own site
Copy this code. The card shows the photo with its credit, key facts and a link back to this page.
CreatureData. (2026). Arapaima (Arapaima gigas). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/arapaima
“Arapaima (Arapaima gigas).” CreatureData, 2026, https://creaturedata.com/animals/arapaima.
@misc{arapaima_2026,
title = {Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)},
author = {{CreatureData}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://creaturedata.com/animals/arapaima},
note = {Data as of 2026-11-11}
}