Amazonian leaping fish. The animals of the Amazon basin are mammals, birds and reptiles of the rainforest. Treatment and consequences

Do you dream of going fishing, on the very big river in the world of the Amazon, or you just want to take part in an exotic journey along this fabulously beautiful and mysterious river, and your dream may come true in the near future. But before you go to the Amazon for trophies, you should know about some dangerous species of ichthyofauna that live in this river and can cause you trouble, and even very big ones.

Some predatory fish of the Amazon can be huge in size, like a bull shark, while others are modest and small like piranhas.

Piranha

This voracious and bloodthirsty fish belongs to the carp species of the pyrene family. Piranha sizes rarely exceed 30 cm.However, these medium-sized fish can sometimes be more dangerous than a huge caiman or giant anaconda... The piranha has a short body compressed from the sides, allowing it to move quickly in the water and perfectly maneuver. The powerful jaws of this predatory fish are dotted with razor-sharp teeth. The whole danger of a piranha lies in its gregarious lifestyle and hunting in a flock. This fish reacts well to the smell of blood. If an animal is wounded and entered the water, it is immediately attacked by piranhas rushing from all sides to the smell of blood. In addition, the piranha feeds on carrion and cleans the bottom of the river from it, thus performing the role of orderlies. The Amazon is home to about 400 species of piranhas. Many of these fish are vegetarians and eat mostly plant foods. However, not all predatory piranha species are bloodthirsty.

Stingray

The danger of this fish lies in its tail equipped with a poisonous spike. This fish can often lie on the bottom under a thin layer of sand, waiting for prey. If it is disturbed by a person or a large animal, then the fish beats with its tail with an armed poisonous thorn and the poison from it penetrates into the wound, sacrificing great suffering. The Amazonian Indians use the sharp and large thorn of this fish as an arrowhead. The Amazon stingray belongs to the cartilaginous fish species, the stingray family.

Electric eel

However, not only the sharp spines of the stalker and the teeth of the piranha lie in wait for the fisherman or the traveler in the waters of the Amazon. The electric eel has a very unusual method of defense and attack. In the body of the eel there is a special organ "battery" capable of generating electricity. In the back of the eel's body there is a negative part of the charge, and in the front, a positive one. Also, this fish has another weak electrical organ, it sends out weak discharges that help the fish to navigate and identify prey or danger. Then he uses a powerful discharge to jam the victim or scare away the enemy. If the eel is 1 meter long, the electrical discharge generated by it can be about 650 volts. And old individuals, which reach 3 m in length, give out an even more powerful discharge. These eels belong to the carp species, the eel family. And on those familiar to all European eels that also live in Russia, electric eels are similar only in appearance. Also, the Amazonian eel receives oxygen not in water, but directly from the atmosphere. After all, he lives in oxygen-poor areas overgrown with grass and constantly this fish has to rise to the surface to breathe.

Vandellia

Vampire fish

This fish belongs to the mackerel family and lives in the rivers of the Amazon and Orinoco basins. Due to its impressive sharp teeth, reaching a length of 15 cm, it is considered a dangerous predator capable of inflicting serious wounds on humans or animals. However, this fish has delicious meat and is considered a delicacy. The main prey for this fish are piranhas and other small fish. This predator pierces its prey with long sharp fangs.

Bull shark

The main habitat of the bull shark is the salty waters of the ocean, however, this predator also feels comfortable in fresh waters. Cases have been recorded when these sharks were seen near the Peruvian town of Iquitos located 4000 km from the coast Atlantic Ocean... These sharks have special kidneys that adapt to changes in salt levels in the water. And probably no one would want to meet in the waters of the river with such a giant monster with powerful huge jaws and teeth. A bull shark can, on average, be 3.3 m long, but often its size can be larger. The weight of large individuals on average reaches more than 300 kg. The bite force of a bull shark can reach forces of 590 kg. Also, these sharks, do not mind trying human flesh, and occupy the third place after the tiger and great white sharks in the number of attacks on humans. Such formidable characteristics of this predator and the circumstances that the bull shark prefers to be near places densely populated by people gave rise to experts to believe that these sharks are the most dangerous in the world for humans.

Brown pacu

However, there is also such a fish in the waters of the Amazon, which is much more dangerous for men swimming in the water than for women. The brown pacu is one of the largest piranha-related fish. However, unlike many of its other relatives, Paku is not an outright predator. It is an omnivorous fish and more than half of their diet consists of nuts and fruits that have fallen from trees into the river. It turned out that for some individuals of this species, "nuts" are not only what fell from the trees. I hope that everyone who reads this article understands correctly what is meant. About a dozen cases have been recorded when pacu took the testicles of male swimmers for nuts and bit them off. There were even fatal cases. By the way, paku's teeth are very similar to human teeth. However, today paca can be found not only in the waters of the Amazon. This fish began to spread in the rivers of southern Europe.

Other interesting materials:

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

2. Tambaki (Colossoma macropomum)
Also known as Paku, Tambaki are the seeds and fruits that this fish feeds on. A member of the piranha family, the species can grow 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 the seeds of the rubber tree and are usually found in the waters near Manaus in Brazil.

4. Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri)
Perhaps the most famous and most dangerous sea creature in the Amazon, the pot-bellied piranha has been depicted everywhere as one of the most dangerous fish in the popular Amazon River, in fact it is not. The fish are mostly scavengers, which can grow up to 30 centimeters in length. In Hollywood films, they show that they eat their prey to the bone in a matter of minutes, in fact, this is quite a rare occurrence and usually only happens when a school of fish is starving for a very long time.

5. Armored catfish
Characterized by bony plates covering their skin. The armored catfish, a member of the Loricarid family, usually has a ventral suctermouth with papillae on the lips that allows them to feed and breathe. The armored catfish is also known as the "Plek", and various types of armored catfish can be found in the Amazon region. The fish can eat wood, but they cannot digest it and discards the undigested pieces of wood as waste.

6. Electric eel (Electrophorus electricus)
Despite the name, electric eel isn't actually an eel, it's a fish. An electric eel can reach about two and a half meters in length and weigh about 22-23 kilograms. Adult electric eels hit with a discharge that can reach 650 volts. This is quite enough to cause very severe damage to a person in the water, up to instant death. Usually lives at depth, in dirty soil. After his death, the eel can contain a strong electrical discharge for 8 hours. In this connection, the locals living on the shores of the Amazon always try to avoid this type of fish.

7. Pancake stingrays
The fish literally resembles pancakes. This species was discovered in 2012 in Rio Nanai near Iquitos, Peru. Freshwater rays are known to grow up to about 450 kilograms and have over 40 different types many of which are constantly found in the Amazon River.

8. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas)
Traditionally a saltwater fish, otherwise called Bull Shark, it has adapted to freshwater water 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 recycle the vital salts they need throughout the body, allowing them to constantly move to freshwater areas.

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

10. Peacock bass or Tucunar Peacock Bass (Cichla Temensis)
Tucunar Peacock Bass is native to the Rio Negro, Ouatuma and Orinocoin basins in the north South America... This particular type of bass is also known as: spotted pavon, spotted peacock, or painted pavon. It is a very large South American cichlid and a very valuable fish. It reaches almost 1 meter in length and weighs over 12 kg. Peacock bass is most commonly found in rapids and in calm waters with medium depth. They feed only on small fish, especially filamentous fish, mosquitoes, tilapia and blue fungus.

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

It is even strange how little has been done so far to deepen our knowledge of the biology and behavior of the arapaima. For years, it has been mercilessly caught 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 and did not think about preserving it. The schools of fish seemed inexhaustible. And only when the number of fish began to decrease noticeably did interest in it appear.

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

Today it is caught mainly with nets. Let's take a closer look at this ..

Photo 2.

Photo: View of the Amazon River from the window of the Cessna 208 amphibious aircraft that flew photographer Bruno Kelly from Manaus to the village of Medio Jurua, Carahuari municipality, Amazonas, Brazil, September 3, 2012.
REUTERS / Bruno Kelly

In Brazil, giant fish were settled in ponds in the hope that they would take root there. In eastern Peru, in the jungle of the province of Loreto, certain areas of rivers and a number of lakes have been left as a reserve fund. It is allowed to fish here only under the license of the Ministry of Agriculture.

Arapaima is found throughout the Amazon Basin. To the east, it occurs in two areas separated by the black and acidic waters of the Rio Negro. In Rio Negro, arapaima is not found, but the river, apparently, is not an insurmountable barrier for fish. Otherwise, one would have to assume the existence of two fish species with different origins and those living north and south of this river.

The western region of the distribution of arapaima is probably Rio Moron, to the east of it Rio Pastasa and Lake Rimachi, where a huge number of fish are found. It is the second protected reservoir in Peru for breeding and observation of arapaima.

An adult arapaima is painted very picturesquely: its back color changes from bluish-black to metallic green, belly - from cream to greenish-white, sides and tail are silvery-gray. Each of its huge scales shimmers with all sorts of shades of red (in Brazil, the fish is called piraruku, which means red fish).

Photo 3.

Swaying 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 in a whirlpool, the mouth of a giant fish protruded, exhaling air with a whistle. The fishermen looked dumbfounded at the monster, two human height, covered with a scaly shell. And the giant splashed a blood-red tail - and disappeared into the depths ...

Tell such a Russian fisherman, he will immediately be laughed at. Who is not familiar with fishing bikes: either a giant fish will fall off the hook, or a local Nessie will be seen. But on the Amazon, meeting a giant is a reality.

Arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish. There were specimens 4.5 m long! Now you will not find such people. Since 1978, the record of the Rio Negro River (Brazil) has been held, where arapaima was caught with a data of 2.48 m - 147 kg (the price of a kilogram of tender and tasty meat, almost without bones, far exceeds the monthly income of Amazonian fishermen. North America it can be seen in antique shops).

Photo 4.

This strange creature looks like a representative of the dinosaur era. Yes, it is so: a living fossil has not changed in 135 million years. The tropical Goliath has adapted to the swampy swamps of the Amazon basin: the bubble attached to the esophagus acts like a lung, arapaima protrudes from the water every 10-15 minutes. She kind of "patrols" the Amazon basin, captures small fish in her mouth and grinds them with a bony, rough tongue (the locals use it as sandpaper).

Photo 5.

These giants live in the freshwater bodies of South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Moron, Rio Pastasa and Lake Rimachi rivers). A huge amount of arapaima is found in these places. There are not so many of these fish in the Amazon itself, because she prefers quiet rivers with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A body of water with jagged banks and lots of floating plants - that's perfect place for her habitation and existence.

Photo 6.

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

Photo 7.

Previously, arapaima was caught in large quantities and did not think about its population. Now, when the stocks of these fish have significantly decreased, in some countries of South America, for example in eastern Peru, areas of rivers and lakes have been identified, which are strictly protected and fishing in these places is allowed only under the license of the Ministry of Agriculture. And even then in limited quantities.

Photo 8.

An adult can reach 3-4 meters. The powerful body of the fish is covered with large scales, which shimmer in various shades of red. This is especially noticeable in its tail part. For this, the locals gave the fish another name - piraruka, which translates as "red fish". The fish themselves are of various colors - from "metallic green" to bluish black.

Photo 9.

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

Photo 10.

The breathing pattern of this fish cannot be confused with anyone. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small eddies 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 just a couple of seconds. It lets out the "old" air and takes a new sip, the mouth closes abruptly and the fish goes to depth. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones a little more often.

Photo 11.

On the head of these fish there are special glands that secrete special mucus. But what it is for, you will find out a little later.

Photo 12.

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

Photo 13.

The breeding season for Piraruku is 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 the male "sea dragons" take care of their offspring. These fish do not lag behind them. The male digs a shallow hole about 50 centimeters in diameter near the coast. The female lays eggs in it. Then, during the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards eggs and swims near the "nest", while females drive away fish swimming nearby.

Photo 14.

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

Photo 38.

Once the meat of these monsters was the staple food of the peoples of the Amazon. Since the late 1960s, arapaimas have disappeared completely in many rivers: after all, only big fish, the nets also made it possible to catch babies. The government has banned the sale of arapaime less than a meter and a half long, but the taste, which only trout and salmon can rival, pushes people to break the law. It is promising to breed arapaim in artificial pools with heated water: they grow as much as five times faster than carp!

Photo 15.

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

The literature of past years greatly exaggerates the size of the arapaima. These exaggerations, to a certain extent, began with the descriptions of R. Shomburk in the book "Fish of British Guiana", written after a trip to Guiana in 1836. Shoem-burk writes that fish can be 14 feet (ft \u003d 0.305 meters) in length and weigh up to 400 pounds (pounds \u003d 0.454 kilograms). However, this information was obtained by the author from the second hand - from the words of the local population - he personally did not have evidence to confirm such data. In a well-known book on the fish of the world, McCormick questions the veracity of these stories. After analyzing all the available and more or less reliable information, he comes to the conclusion that the arapaim species never exceed 9 feet in length - a solid enough size for freshwater fish.

From my own experience, I was convinced that McCormick was right. The animals we caught in Rio Pacai averaged 6 feet in length. The most big fish turned out to be a female 7 feet long and weighing 300 pounds. Obviously, the illustration from the old editions of Brehm's Life of Animals, depicting an Indian sitting on the back of a pyraruku, 12 to 15 feet long, should be considered sheer fantasy.

The distribution of arapaima in certain areas of the river depends, apparently, more on the vegetation growing there than on the nature of the water itself. Fish requires a heavily indented coast with a wide strip of coastal floating plants, which, intertwining, form floating meadows.

For this reason alone, fast-flowing rivers like the Amazon are not suitable for the existence of arapaima. The bottom of the Amazon always remains smooth and uniform, so there are few floating plants, the same ones that are, are usually tangled among shrubs and hanging branches.

On Riu Pakai, we found arapaim in backwaters, where, in addition to floating meadows of aquatic grasses, floating mimosas and hyacinths grew. In other places, these species could be replaced by floating ferns, victoria-regia and some others. The giant fish is invisible between the plants.

Perhaps not surprisingly, arapaimas prefer to breathe air rather than oxygen from the swampy waters in which they live.

Photo 16.

The manner of inhaling air is very characteristic of the arapaima. When it comes to the surface big fish, at first a whirlpool forms on the water surface. Then the fish itself suddenly appears with its mouth open. She quickly releases air, making a clicking sound, inhales fresh air and immediately plunges into the depths.

By the whirlpool formed on the surface of the water, the fishermen hunting for arapaima determine where to throw the harpoon. They throw their heavy weapon right into the middle of the whirlpool and in most cases miss the target. But the fact is that giant fish often live in small reservoirs, 60-140 meters long, and eddies are constantly formed here, and therefore, the likelihood of the harpoon getting into the animal increases. Adults appear on the surface every 10-15 minutes, young ones more often.

Having reached a certain size, arapaima goes to the fish table, specializing mainly in bottom shell fish. In the stomachs of arapaim, the spiky needles of the pectoral fins of these fish are most often found.

In Rio Pakai, the living conditions for arapaim are obviously the most favorable. The fish that live here reach maturity within four to five years. By this time they have reached about six feet in length and weigh between 80 and 100 pounds. It is believed (although not proven) that some, and possibly all adults, breed twice a year.

Once I was lucky enough to watch a pair of arapaimas preparing to spawn. Everything took place in the clear and still waters of the quiet cove of Rio Pakai. The behavior of arapaimas during spawning and their further care for their offspring is a truly amazing sight.

Photo 17.

In all likelihood, the fish digging out the spawning hole in the soft clay bottom with their mouths. In the quiet bay where we observed, the fish chose a spawning site just five feet below the surface. For several days, the male stayed within this place, and the female stayed 10-15 meters from him almost all the time.

The young growth, having hatched from the eggs, remains in the burrow for about seven days. A male is constantly next to them, either circling over the hole, or perching on the side. After that 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 whole flock at once floats to the surface to breathe in the air-Spirit.

At the age of seven to eight days, the fry begin to feed on plankton. Observing the fish through the still waters of our quiet bay, we did not notice that the fish were raising young growth, that is, they would take the fish in their mouths at the moment of danger. There were also no signs that the larvae were feeding on the substance released from the plate-like gills located on the heads of the parents. The local population makes a clear mistake, assuming that the young are feeding on their parent's "milk".

In November 1959, I was able to count 11 schools of juvenile fish in a lake of about 160 acres (an acre is equal to 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 the school of fish if it suddenly lost its parents, and we caught them. The orphaned fish, having lost contact with their parents, thereby obviously lost contact with each other. The tight flock began to disintegrate and eventually dispersed. After a while, we noticed that juveniles in other flocks were significantly different in size from each other. Such a large contrast could hardly be explained by the fact that the same generation of fish developed differently. Apparently other arapaims adopted the orphans. Expanding the swimming circle after the death of their parents, the orphaned fish spontaneously mixed with neighboring groups.

Photo 18.

On the head of the arapaima there are glands of a very interesting structure. On the outside, they have a series of small, tongue-like protrusions, at the ends of which you can distinguish the smallest holes with a magnifying glass. Through these holes, mucus formed in the glands is released.

The secretion of these glands is not used as food, although this would seem to be the simplest and most obvious explanation for its purpose. It performs much more important functions. Here's an example. When we pulled the male out of the water, the flock accompanying him remained for a long time in the very place from which he disappeared. And one more: 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 that keeps the whole group together.

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

Photo 19.

Residents of the village of Medio Jurua display a gutted pirate on Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, September 3, 2012. Piraruku is the largest freshwater fish South America.
REUTERS / Bruno Kelly

Photo 20.

Photo 21.

The Amazon rainforest is a huge ecosystem that is home to strange and amazing creatures such as the jaguar, poison dart frogs and basilisks. However, the forest is not only a habitat for those creatures that prowl, run or crawl in its wilds. In the depths of the Amazon River, the world's largest river, there are creatures so amazing and scary that, compared to them, the movie "Jaws" seems like a pleasant and relaxing swim in the ocean.

10. Black Caiman

Basically, the black caiman is an alligator on steroids. Black caimans can grow up to six meters in length, have larger and heavier skulls than the Nile crocodiles, and are the top predators in the Amazon River. This means that they are, in principle, the kings of the river, they eat anything that gets in their teeth, including piranhas, monkeys, freshwater perches, deer and anacondas.

Oh yeah, it's worth noting that they readily attack humans. In 2010, a black caiman attacked a biologist named Deise Nishimura while she was cleaning fish in her houseboat. Despite the fact that she managed to fight off him, the black caiman took one of her legs with him. This caiman lived under her houseboat for eight months, apparently waiting for a convenient opportunity to attack.

9. Anaconda (Green Anaconda)


Continuing the theme of giant reptiles, we present to your attention the largest snake in the world that lives in the Amazon River - the anaconda. Although the body length of reticulated pythons may be longer, anacondas are much heavier. Female anacondas are usually larger than males and can weigh up to 250 kilograms. The body length of the anaconda can be about 9 meters, and the body diameter can reach 30 centimeters. They are not poisonous, but use their impressive muscle strength to squeeze and choke their victims, which include capybaras, deer, caimans, and even jaguars. Preferring shallow waters that allow them to sneak up on their prey, they, as a rule, do not live in the Amazon River itself, but in its branches.

8. Arapaima


Arapaima, also known as puraruku or paiche, is a giant predatory fish that lives in the Amazon and the surrounding lakes. Equipped with armored scales, they safely swim in the waters teeming with piranhas, and are themselves rather effective predators, feeding on fish and occasionally birds. Arapaim prefer to stay close to the surface, because in addition to the oxygen that they receive through the gills from the water, they still need to take breaths of air, rising to the surface of the water. Appearing on the surface, they emit a characteristic sound similar to a cough. Their body length can reach 2.7 meters and weigh 90 kilograms. These fish are so ferocious that they even have teeth on their tongue.

7. Brazilian otter (Giant Otter)


Brazilian otters are the largest freshwater otters. Brazilian otters have the longest body length of the entire marten family, and adult males can grow up to two meters when measured from head to tail. Their diet mainly consists of fish and crabs, which they hunt in family groups of three to eight individuals. They can eat up to four kilograms of seafood a day. However, many people find them cute, but don't let their cuteness fool you, they're just as harmless as the other creatures on this list. There have been cases of groups of Brazilian otters killing and eating adult anacondas. They can also kill the caiman with ease. During the observation of one of the groups of Brazilian otters, it was noticed that they killed and ate a half-meter caiman in 45 minutes. Despite the fact that their numbers are declining at a rapid rate, in particular due to human intervention, they are considered one of the most powerful predators of the Amazon rainforest, hence their unofficial nickname "river wolves".

5. Bull Sharks


Despite the fact that bull sharks, as a rule, live in salt waters ocean, they feel great in fresh waters. There have been cases when they swam so far along the Amazon River that they were seen in the city of Iquitos in Peru, almost 4,000 kilometers from the sea. Their specific kidneys sense changes in salt levels in the water and adapt accordingly. And you definitely wouldn't want to meet one of them in the river. These sharks often grow up to 3.3 meters in length, and the weight of especially large individuals caught by fishermen reached 312 kilograms. Like other sharks, bull sharks have multiple rows of sharp, triangular teeth and incredibly strong jaws that provide a bite force of 589 kilograms. They are also not at all averse to feasting on humans, and it is this species of shark that most often attacks humans (tiger and great white sharks take second and third places, respectively). The above characteristics, combined with the fact that these sharks prefer to live near densely populated areas, have led to the fact that many experts consider them the most dangerous sharks in the world.

4. Electric Eels


Electric eels are actually more closely related to catfish than other eels, but you probably don't want to get close enough to be sure for yourself. They grow up to 2.5 meters in length and can generate electrical discharges using special electrical organs located along their sides. These discharges can reach 600 volts, five times the power of the average American outlet, and enough to knock a horse down. While a single shock is not enough to kill a healthy adult, repeated shocks can lead to heart or respiratory failure, and it is not uncommon for people to faint and drown after an electric eel attack. Many of the disappearances registered near the Amazon River are associated with attacks by eels, which deafened people with electric shocks and left them drowning in the waters of the river. Fortunately for our species, even though eels are carnivores, they tend to eat a diet of fish, amphibians, birds, and small mammals. They detect prey by sending small, 10-volt discharges with their electrical organs, and when they find it, they kill it by releasing strong discharges.

3. Common piranhas (Red-Bellied Piranhas)


The quintessential horror of the Amazon River so chilling that it has inspired a number of controversial Hollywood films, the common piranha is actually primarily a scavenger. However, this does not mean that piranhas do not attack healthy creatures. They can grow up to 30 centimeters in length and usually swim in large groups, so they pose a significant threat to most animals. Like all piranha species, common piranhas have incredibly sharp teeth that are arranged in a row on the upper and lower jaws of these fish. These teeth fully close together, making them the perfect tool for ripping and tearing the victim's flesh. Their intimidating reputation mainly stems from "feverish eating", where a group of piranhas surrounds an unfortunate victim and devours its flesh to the bone in a matter of minutes. Such attacks are usually the result of a long hunger or provocation.

2. Mackerel Hydrolic (Payara / Vampire Fish)


Despite their diminutive name, Mackerel Hydrolic is ferocious predatorcapable of catching and swallowing fish, whose size is half their own body. Considering that their bodies can be as long as 1.2 meters, this is quite an impressive feat. Most of their diet consists of piranhas, which should give you some idea of \u200b\u200bhow ferocious these fanged fiends can be. From their lower jaw two canines grow, which can grow up to 15 centimeters in length. They use these fangs to literally push the victim onto them, after rushing at it. In fact, their canines are so large that there are special holes in their upper jaw so that they do not pierce themselves with the canines.

1. Brown pacu


One creature that lives in the Amazon River is much scarier for men than for women. The brown pacu is a much larger relative of the piranha, well known for its distinctive human-like teeth. Unlike many of the other creatures on this list, the pacu are actually omnivores, and fruits and nuts make up the bulk of their diet. Unfortunately, for some pacu, “nuts” are not just things that fall from the trees. Yes, you understood correctly. There have been several cases of pacu biting off the testicles of male swimmers. In Papua New Guinea, several men have died after pacu mistook their genitals for easy prey. Oh yeah, don't worry if you can't get to the Amazon to see these dignified monsters - they've already begun to spread across Europe.

It is not without reason that the Amazon River basin is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world, home to a huge number of predators. I invite you to find out what is found in the waters of the Amazon, and why this place is considered so dangerous to life.

Black caiman

We can say that this is an alligator on steroids, their muscles are much larger, and they can grow up to six meters in length. These are undoubtedly the highest predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat everyone who comes their way.

Anaconda

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Another giant monster of the Amazon is the well-known anaconda, the largest snake in the world. The weight of a female anaconda can reach 250 kilograms, and this is with a 9-meter length and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow waters, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

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The huge predator arapaim is equipped with armored scales, therefore it swims fearlessly among the piranhas, feeding on fish and birds. These creepy fish are almost three meters long and weigh 90 kilograms.

Brazilian otter

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Brazilian otters grow up to 2 meters in length and feed mainly on fish and crabs. However, the fact that they always hunt in large groups allows them to successfully get prey more seriously: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they were called "river wolves".

Plain wandellia or kandiru

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Bull shark

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Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel great in fresh waters just as well. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far across the Amazon that they reached the city of Iquitos (Peru), located almost 4 thousand kilometers from the sea. Considering that sharp teeth and powerful jaws provide these 3-meter creatures with a bite force of 589 kilograms, you definitely would not want to meet with them, and in fact they would not mind feasting on a human!

Electric eels

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We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with voltages up to 600 volts. This is 5 times the current in an American outlet, and enough to knock a horse down with ease. Repeated blows from these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, as a result of which people lose consciousness and simply drown in water.

Common piranhas

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More terrible and ferocious creatures are hard to imagine, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films more than once. However, in fairness, it should be noted that piranhas are primarily scavengers. But, unfortunately, this does not mean at all that they do not attack healthy creatures. Their incredibly sharp teeth, located on the upper and lower jaws, close together very tightly, making them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel Hydrolic

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These meter-high underwater inhabitants were also called vampire fish. They have two sharp canines on their lower jaw that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices in order to literally prick the victim on them, after they rush at it. The fangs of these fish are so large that nature had to take care of the safety of the hydrolics themselves. To prevent them from piercing themselves, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

Brown pacu

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Fish with human teeth, the brown pacu, is the larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater ones prefer fruits and nuts more, although in general they are considered omnivores. The problem is that stupid pacu can't tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitals, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.