The Piraiba is a massive, shark-like freshwater catfish from South America, known as the Goliath Catfish, and is the largest of its kind. It has an elongated, muscular body that can reach up to 12 feet long and weigh over 400 pounds, with a silvery-gray coloration, a white belly, long barbels, and red markings on its lips. As a fierce predator, the Piraiba inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco basins and is an opportunistic carnivore with a diet that includes other fish, and occasionally larger prey.
Description
Appearance: The Piraiba has a sleek, muscular, and elongated body with a shark-like appearance. Its coloration is silvery-gray with a white belly and a tall dorsal fin.
Size: It is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, with individuals growing to an average of 7 feet and a maximum recorded length of 11.8 feet. Weight records can exceed 400 pounds.
Key features: It has long barbels around its mouth and red markings on its lips.
Habitat and behavior
Habitat: The Piraiba is native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, thriving in both fresh and brackish waters within large river channels.
Behavior: It is an opportunistic, carnivorous predator that primarily feeds on other fish. Known to be a fierce fighter, it can make long, powerful runs when hooked.
Migration: It undertakes massive migrations, especially during feeding events when they move upriver to take advantage of rich feeding grounds.
Other information
Other names: The Piraiba is also known as the "Goliath Catfish" or "Lau-Lau".
Diet: Its diet includes a variety of fish, crustaceans, and sometimes even larger prey. There are even anecdotal reports of them eating monkeys and humans, though these are rare.
Aquarium: Due to their immense size and specific needs, Piraiba are only suitable for very large public aquariums or private collections with extensive resources.
The Piraiba is a massive, shark-like freshwater catfish from South America, known as the Goliath Catfish, and is the largest of its kind. It has an elongated, muscular body that can reach up to 12 feet long and weigh over 400 pounds, with a silvery-gray coloration, a white belly, long barbels, and red markings on its lips. As a fierce predator, the Piraiba inhabits the Amazon and Orinoco basins and is an opportunistic carnivore with a diet that includes other fish, and occasionally larger prey.
Description
Appearance: The Piraiba has a sleek, muscular, and elongated body with a shark-like appearance. Its coloration is silvery-gray with a white belly and a tall dorsal fin.
Size: It is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, with individuals growing to an average of 7 feet and a maximum recorded length of 11.8 feet. Weight records can exceed 400 pounds.
Key features: It has long barbels around its mouth and red markings on its lips.
Habitat and behavior
Habitat: The Piraiba is native to the Amazon and Orinoco river basins in South America, thriving in both fresh and brackish waters within large river channels.
Behavior: It is an opportunistic, carnivorous predator that primarily feeds on other fish. Known to be a fierce fighter, it can make long, powerful runs when hooked.
Migration: It undertakes massive migrations, especially during feeding events when they move upriver to take advantage of rich feeding grounds.
Other information
Other names: The Piraiba is also known as the "Goliath Catfish" or "Lau-Lau".
Diet: Its diet includes a variety of fish, crustaceans, and sometimes even larger prey. There are even anecdotal reports of them eating monkeys and humans, though these are rare.
Aquarium: Due to their immense size and specific needs, Piraiba are only suitable for very large public aquariums or private collections with extensive resources.
