Save the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish

The Arapaima (Arapaima gigas)

The Arapaima is the largest, scaled freshwater fish in the world. It can grow over three meters in length and weigh over 200kg! Only at a length of 1.5m and the age of 4 years(!), the Arapaima is able to spawn. Spawning takes place at the start of the rainy season. Prior to the rainy season, during the dry season, the animals start forming couples. During this period, the Arapaima move out of the flooded forests and into lakes and canals, which can cause congregations of multiple Arapaima in a single lake. In the same period, the male Arapaima develops a bright red colour, which can cover upto 75% of the body! Thanks to this colour, the Arapaima is also called the "Red Fish".

In order to survive the in the often oxygen poor lakes during the dry season, the Arapaima has developed a special feature, which is the ability to breathe air. Unfortunately this survival freature is also the species downfall, as this gulping makes it easy for poachers to detect them. After all, a giant fish that gives away its position is the perfect target for them! Because of this, the number of Arapaima is declining rapidly and in some regions, poaching has even led to extirpation of the species. Therefore, the Arapaima depends on protected areas and proper management for its survival. In areas where management is successfully implemented, the number of Arapaima are increasing and the entire ecosystem is recovering! This has provided the local communities with alternative sources of income, which can provide long term support for. A very good example of this can be found in Guyana. 

The Redtail Catfish (Phractocephalus hemioliopterus)

The Redtail Catfish may be the most colorful fish in the Amazonian waterways. As the name suggests, the species is characterized by its bright red tail fin. However, its white flanks and black and brown spotted top side also contribute to its unique and iconic appearance. The Redtail Catfish can reach a length of 1.5 meters and a weight of over 50kg! The species is often found near the bottom and under water structures such as sunken trees. The species is also a welcome catch for poachers, which is the main cause for its declining numbers. Though the Redtail Catfish is still more abundant and widespread compared to the Arapaima, no measures have been taken in order to prevent further decline of the species. The reason for this is that hardly any research has been performed on the Redtail Catfish, causing a major lack of information on the life cycle of the species. Because of this, it is of great importance to gather data on the species in order to create proper management strategies to protect the species.

Who are we?

We (Maximiliaan Claus & Florian Kappen) are two Master students in Biology at Wageningen University and Research (WUR) in the Netherlands. We have been specializing in aquatic ecology and especially freshwater fish species. Before we started on our Master degree, we graduated with a BSc in Applied Biology and Ecology at the University of Applied Sciences (HAS) in the Netherlands. Ever since we started on our study, we have been working on projects in and around all types of freshwater systems. These projects mainly included ecological consultancy and the monitoring of populations of rare and endangered species and their habitat. Our experience and expertise reaches further than just the Netherlands. During a previous internship we performed research on the Alligator Gar (Atractosteus spatula) in the state of Florida in the United States. This species (see media) shows very similar characteristics to the Arapaima: it reaches a similar size and is also capable of breathing air. For more information on our Alligator Gar research you can take a look at this article. During our internship in Florida, we also contributed to research on another giant fish species, the Gulf Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus desotoi). After completing this internship with an A and graduating for our BSc, we worked as a project employee at an ecological consultancy bureau. This also contributed to our experience and knowledge on fish research.

Our passion reaches beyond our study and in our spare time we are still doing all kinds of fish related activities: working at the aquarium departement of a pet store, keeping our own pond and of course sportfishing. Our passion has led to an unquenchable thirst for knowledge on everything beneath the water surface and the will to preserve and protect it, which also explains our direction of study. We first came into direct contact with all the beauty beneath the water surface through sportfishing. Our catches enable us to share our passion with the rest of the world and raise awareness for the hidden and sometimes underappreceated under water world. Some of our catches even made it to the national news, such as a 103kg Sturgeon Maximiliaan caught in Europe. Though giant fish like this are very special, we also appreciate the little species and love every facet of the aquatic environment.

This project on the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish means more to us than just a graduation project. For us, this project is the ultimate challenge within our expertise and we have been living towards it for a long time! We became fascinated by the Arapaima and Redtail Catfish at a young age and have dreamt of admiring this species in their natural surroundings ever since. With our research project we are not only able to live our youth dreams, but also make sure that this dream lives on and that everyone can admire these beautiful animals in the future!

SPONSOR: Dierspecialist van der Vaart, Woerden --   Facebook -- La Fontaineplein 17  --  3446BX Woerden

>> Join the lottery with a donation of 15, 25 or 50 euro for an increasing chance to win one of the artificial lure give-away packages! (Winners are picked after June 7th) 

> Package 1 (Main prize!) of €51,-:

• 2X Spro Screamin' Quatro Devil Swimbaits (S150) of €20,- each.
• 1X Abu Garcia McHybrid of €5,-.
• 1X Fox Pro Shad (Hot olive) 28cm of €6,-.

> Package 2 of €35,-:

• 1X Spro Screamin' Quatro Devil Swimbaits (S150) of €20,-.
• 1X Abu Garcia McHybrid of €5,-.
• 1X Spro Jigheads 20gr + shad of €5,-.
• 1X Jackson the trout shad of €5,-.

>> Dierspecialist van der Vaart:

Great store which sells a large variety of sports fishing gear, for all types of sport-fisheries and gives great advide on any species. Also has a great variety of aquarium fish and other pets and pet related material for sale! Also sells dead bait (roach and sardines) in winter!