Did you know the Arapaima Gigas is the giant of the Amazon and can be found in Peru?
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Arapaima Gigas, this impressive freshwater fish, can grow up to 3 meters in length and weigh 250 kilograms, living in the rivers and lakes of Peru. Its imposing size, along with its ability to adapt to controlled environments, makes it a key species for both the Amazonian ecosystem and local communities. Discover more about the Arapaima Gigas, the giant Amazon, its importance to the locals, and its growing demand in the international market.
➬ ARAPAIMA CHARACTERISTICS
Arapaima Gigas
🐟 One of the largest freshwater fish in the world, measuring up to 3.0 meters and weighing approximately 250 kilograms.
🐟 Age of first reproduction: 4 years.
🐟 The Arapaima reproduces naturally, building nests for spawning.
🐟 Number of offspring per spawn: 500 to 6,000.
🐟 Arapaima’s diet includes plankton and small fish.
🐟 The Arapaima Gigas lays approximately 20,000 eggs.
🐟 Easily adapts to controlled environments.
🐟 Its high-quality meat is in great demand in the international market.
🐟 Arapaima grows between 10 and 12 kilograms within 12 months.
🐟 It is resistant to handling.
▶ THE EXQUISITE TASTE OF ARAPAIMA
☑ Its fillet is completely free of intermuscular bones, offering a delicious flavor with exceptional color and texture, ideal for creating high-value gourmet products.
☑ It is strictly carnivorous. Its diet is almost exclusively made up of other fish.
☑ Arapaima Gigas is important to the local population of the Peruvian Amazon, as it serves as a food source and generates income through product sales.
➬ ADVANTAGES OF ARAPAIMA GIGAS
✔️ High regional demand and excellent prospects in the national and international markets.
✔️ Consistent high price year-round, ranging between 15 and 18 soles per kilogram in the markets of Iquitos and Pucallpa, Peru.
✔️ Good development and weight gain. In one year, it can grow up to 1 meter long and weigh 12 kilograms.
✔️ Can be bred in ponds.
✔️ A pair of Arapaima Gigas produces an average of 2,000 fry annually.
✔️ Its cultivation doesn’t require water with high oxygen levels, as the Arapaima Gigas can breathe atmospheric air.
✔️ High tolerance to handling.
✔️ Good adaptation to balanced feed.
✔️ Abundance of lakes and ponds in the region where it can be farmed.
✔️ An average fillet yield of 57%.
✔️ Possibility of generating additional income by utilizing byproducts such as scales, skin, viscera, and meat.
▶ DERIVED PRODUCTS FROM ARAPAIMA GIGAS
🗸 High nutritional quality of its meat, recommended in top restaurants.
🗸 Ornamental fish for aquaculture (fry).
🗸 Traditional fishing practices.
🗸 Bone structures such as graters (tongue).
🗸 The meat is nearly lean but provides a considerable amount of omega 3 and omega 6, which are beneficial fatty acids, as well as high levels of protein.
Are you ready for a sport fishing adventure with the Arapaima Gigas, the giant of the Peruvian Amazon? Don’t wait any longer, book today and contact us to schedule your unforgettable experience with the majestic Arapaima Gigas.
