The Amazon originates at an altitude of 5 thousand meters from the snow-capped peaks of the Peruvian Andes. Gradually, streams of melt water flow down, forming a river. At such heights, there are practically no inhabitants in the river, but there are exceptions. The clawed duck (Merganetta armata) thrives in cold, turbulent streams.

Driven by the force of gravity, the river makes its way through the mountain ranges, washing away the sediment from the mountain ranges along the way. Soon the Amazon falls into the humid mountain forests. These forests are one of the most wet places on the planet. Clouds and mists collide with the mountain slopes, and 6 meters of precipitation falls here annually. Passing through the mountain gorges, the Amazon forms numerous waterfalls.

This kingdom of moist forests is located at an altitude of 3.5 thousand meters, here the Amazon continues to gain its power. Surviving in such a humid climate is also not easy. But many plants take advantage of this dampness, they do not need soil moisture and therefore they can grow directly on tree trunks. Hummingbirds and other birds act as pollinators instead of insects. It is home to the largest variety of hummingbird species in the world. Each species has a beak adapted to specific tasks, birds and plants complement each other perfectly. Another amazing creature lives here - the smallest in the world and the only one in South America a bear called the spectacled bear (Tremarctos ornatus). Monkeys don't climb that high.

Descending lower and lower, the Amazon finally reaches the foot of the Andes. Here the river slows down its turbulent course and spreads over a wide plain.

At the Peruvian city of Iquitas, the river gets its name Amazon. Already here, the width of the river reaches 2 km, and the average depth of the river is 100 meters. Despite the fact that this place is 3.5 thousand meters away from the Atlantic Ocean, ships sail here. From here, the river will flow across the plain, making its way through the world's greatest tropical jungle with an area of ​​7 million km. sq.

The river is full of minerals brought from the mountain peaks, and they settle on the river banks. These minerals provide many benefits to the wild animals and fish of the Amazon. For example, Ara parrots cannot imagine life without them. This clay helps the Macaws get rid of the poison they eat along with plant seeds.

A huge number of unique and unusual animals live in the intricacies of the arms and tributary of the Amazon basin. The diversity is striking flora in the Amazon and the underwater world of the river.

Brazilian, or giant otter (lat. Pteronura brasiliensis). Likes quiet backwaters, grows up to 2 meters in length. One of the largest predators of the Amazon. It can even eat a boa constrictor or a python for lunch. Giant otters live in large family clans.

The wedge-bellied or flying fish of the Amazon. Fleeing from predators, it can jump 120 cm out of the water with the help of well-developed pectoral fins.

The Sun Heron is a master of bluffing and can scare off many predators with her unusual plumage.

The Amazon is replete with old women. There is no longer a current and the plants grow in full force. The most successful in this business is the giant Amazonian lily, or as it is also called Victoria Regia, its leaves reach 2 meters in diameter.

Giant Amazonian lily or Victoria Regia. As you can see, you can sleep on it without even getting your feet wet.

Floating plants on the river form a kind of floating mobile islands, these lawns drift carried away by the river current. Their diameter can be many times greater than 100 meters. Not only plants, but also animals live on these rafts. They are home to the largest animal in South America - the manatee. The weight of a manatee can reach 500 kg, and a length of 3 meters.

The world's largest rodent, the capybara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris), also lives here.

Amazonian caimans play the role of a crocodile here, caimans eat capybaras with pleasure. Also, these rodents should beware of the anaconda.

Video: Anaconda catches and eats a capybara.

Every year before the start of the rainy season, the water level in the Amazon drops to a minimum. A large number of closed lagoons are formed. This is the most difficult time of the year for the fish, it is trapped. But predators are feasting with might and main, fishing at this time of the year is very simple fish can be fished without much effort.

There are 20 species of piranha in the Amazon, but the red piranha is the most ferocious of them all. If these monsters are locked in a water trap, then they first destroy all life around them, and then real cannibalism begins. After such a "massacre" only the strongest individuals remain alive.

During the Doge season, the water level in the river will rise sharply. For the fish finally come Good times. The Amazon Basin is literally a pool. The Amazon does not have time to dump excess water into the Atlantic Ocean and overflows its banks. On such a large river, the flood should be large. The river overflows and floods everything around at a distance of 80 km on both sides of its banks. Trees are flooded to a depth of 16 meters. The area of ​​flooded land can be compared with the area of ​​England. Fish rush after the flood. Here for fish there is a lot of food, and for every taste. Most likely, this explains the diversity of the underwater world of the Amazon. There are more than 3,000 species of fish in the river, which is more than in the Atlantic Ocean.

Not surprisingly, the Amazon is home to the largest freshwater fish in the world, the Arapaima or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas). This giant fish has a semblance of a lung, and from time to time it emerges to breathe fresh air. The weight of Arapaima can reach 200 kg.

The largest freshwater fish in the world - Arapaima or Pirarucu (Arapaima gigas)

Others live in the midst of the flooded forests unusual creatures. For example, a blind pink penguin (Amazon dolphin, or white river dolphin) lives here, to catch fish follow the thickets, he uses echolocation.

Trees can stay under water for six months of the year, so the river and fish carry the seeds here.

Another unusual local animal is the bald wakari. These monkeys can eat fruits of any maturity.

Bald wakari.

There are also fish that jump out of the water during the mating season. Tetra jumps out of the water and leaves eggs on the leaves of trees. The male will moisten it with water until the fry hatch.

Fire ants have a hard time during the flood, they all gather together and form a living raft, connecting with each other. They are carried away by the current, and the only hope for salvation is if they are washed ashore.

Fire ants huddled together.

People have also adapted to such fluctuations in water levels and live on rafts.

It is also home to giant river turtles, the largest river turtles on the planet, for a million years. Their shell is over a meter in diameter.

The Amazon Basin is not without reason 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 life-threatening.

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 top predators of the Amazon River, local kings who indiscriminately eat anyone who comes across their path.

Anaconda

2

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 length of 9 meters and a diameter of 30 centimeters. These predators prefer shallow water, so most often they can be found not in the river itself, but in its branches.

Arapaima

3

The huge arapaima predator is equipped with armored scales, so it fearlessly swims among piranhas, eating fish and birds. The length of these creepy fish is almost three meters, and weight - 90 kilograms.

brazilian otter

4

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 more serious prey: there were cases when these harmless-looking creatures killed and ate adult anacondas and even caimans. No wonder they are called "river wolves".

Common vandellia or candiru

5

bull shark

6

Most often, bull sharks live in the salty waters of the ocean, but they feel just as great in fresh water. There were cases when these bloodthirsty predators swam so far along 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 them, but they are not averse to feasting on a person!

electric eels

7

We would not advise you to approach them in any case: two-meter creatures are capable of generating electrical discharges with a voltage of up to 600 volts. And this is 5 times the current in an American outlet and enough to easily knock a horse down. Repeated strikes by these creatures can lead to heart or respiratory failure, causing people to lose consciousness and simply drown in the water.

common piranha

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It is difficult to imagine more terrible and ferocious creatures, this is the real quintessence of the horror of the Amazon River. We all know that the sharp teeth of these fish have repeatedly inspired Hollywood directors to create creepy films. However, in fairness, it is worth noting 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 very tightly, which makes them an ideal tool for tearing flesh.

Mackerel hydrolic

9

These meter-long underwater inhabitants were also called vampire fish. On the lower jaw they have two sharp fangs that can grow up to 15 centimeters. They use these devices to literally impale 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. So that they do not pierce themselves with them, they have special holes in the upper jaw.

brown pacu

10

A fish with human teeth, the brown pacu is a larger relative of the piranha. True, unlike the latter, these freshwater prefer fruits and nuts, although they are generally considered omnivores. The problem is that "stupid" pacu are unable to tell the difference between nuts that fall from trees and male genitalia, which has left some male swimmers without testicles.

The Amazon River Basin, also known as the Amazon Rainforest or Amazonia, covers more than 7 million square kilometers and spans the borders of nine countries: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia, Guyana, Suriname and French Guiana. By some estimates, this region (which occupies almost 40% of the area of ​​the South American continent) is home to a tenth of the world's animals. In this article, you will discover the most important animals living in the Amazon, from monkeys to poison dart frogs.

Piranha

There are many myths about piranhas including that they can eat a cow carcass in less than 5 minutes or like to attack people. However, there is no doubt that the piranha is made to kill, as it has sharp teeth and extremely powerful jaws. Considering how many people are afraid of the common piranha, they would hardly want to know about the giant ancestor of the piranha - megapiranha, which was 4 times larger than its contemporary.

capybara

The capybara is the largest rodent in the world, growing up to 70 kg. It is widely distributed throughout South America, but is especially fond of the warm, humid surroundings of the Amazon basin. This mammal prefers abundant rainforest vegetation, including fruit, tree bark, aquatic plants, and gathers in social groups of up to 100 individuals.

Jaguar

The third largest representative after lions and tigers. Over the past century, jaguars have faced threats such as deforestation and human encroachment that have limited their range throughout South America. However, jaguars are much more difficult to hunt in the dense forests of the Amazon than in the open, and impenetrable patches of rainforest may be the last resort for these cats. The jaguar is a super predator, being at the top of the food chain, it is not threatened by other animals.

giant otter

Giant otters are the largest members of the mustelid family and are closely related to weasels. Males of this species can reach a length of up to 2 m and a weight of up to 35 kg. Both sexes have thick and shiny coats that are very valuable to poachers. It is estimated that there are only about 5,000 giant otters left in the entire Amazon.

Unusually for mustelids (but fortunately for poachers), giant otters live in large social groups consisting of about 20 individuals.

giant anteater

He has a comically long muzzle - thanks to which he is able to wade into the narrow holes of insects, as well as a long fluffy tail. Some individuals can reach a weight of 45 kg. Like many, the giant anteater is under serious threat, but the swampy, impenetrable Amazon River basin provides some level of protection from human encroachment for the remaining individuals (not to mention an inexhaustible supply of tasty ants).

Golden Lion Marmoset

The golden lion marmoset is a small monkey, also known as the golden lion tamarin or rosalia. This primate species has suffered terribly from human encroachment: by some estimates, the ape lost a whopping 95% of its South American habitat with the arrival of European settlers 600 years ago. golden marmoset weighs no more than one kilogram and has an amazing appearance: thick, silky, bright red coat, as well as a dark face, and large brown eyes.

This primate's distinctive color probably depends on a combination of intense sunlight and the abundance of carotenoids found in its diet.

black caiman

It is the largest and most dangerous reptile in the Amazon. It is a representative of the alligator family and can reach a body length of about 6 m and a weight of up to 500 kg. Black caimans eat almost anything that moves, from mammals to birds and their reptile cousins. In the 1970s, the black caiman was under serious threat of extinction due to hunting for meat and valuable skin, but its population has since recovered, which cannot bring joy to other animals of the Amazon rainforest.

Dart frogs

Arrow flies are a family of amphibians with 179 species. The brighter the color of the poison dart frogs, the stronger their poison - which is why Amazon predators stay away from bright green or orange species. These frogs do not produce their own poison, but accumulate it from ants, mites and other insects in their diet (this is evidenced by the fact that poison dart frogs that were kept in captivity and fed on other foods are much less poisonous).

rainbow toucan

The rainbow toucan is one of the most comical animal species in the Amazon. It is characterized by a huge, multi-colored beak that is actually much lighter than it first appears (the rest of the body is not as bright except for the yellow neck). Unlike many of the animals on this list, the rainbow toucan population is of the least concern. This bird jumps from branch to branch and lives in small groups of 6 to 12 individuals. During the mating season, males challenge each other to duels and use their beaks as weapons.

three-toed sloth

Millions of years ago, during the Pleistocene era, rainforests South America was home to giant, 4-ton sloths - megatheriums. How things have changed: Today, one of the most common sloths in the Amazon is the three-toed sloth. (Bradypus tridactylus). It has a greenish-brown coat color (due to green algae), limbs with three sharp and long claws and is also able to swim. This animal is terribly slow - its average speed is about 16o meters / hour.

The three-toed sloth coexists with two species of the two-toed sloth genus (Choloepus): sloth hoffman (Choloepus hoffmanni) and two-toed sloth or unau (Choloepus didactylus), and they sometimes choose the same trees.

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 hunted mercilessly 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. Schools of fish seemed inexhaustible. And only when the number of fish began to noticeably decrease, interest in it appeared.

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

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

Photo: View of the Amazon River from the window of the Cessna 208 amphibious aircraft that brought photographer Bruno Kelly from Manaus to the village of Medio Jurua, municipality of Carauari, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012.

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

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

The western distribution area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe arapaima is probably Rio Morona, to the east of it, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi, where a huge amount of fish is found. This is the second protected reservoir in Peru for breeding and observing arapaima.

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

Swinging 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, the mouth of a giant fish stuck out, exhaling air with a whistle. The fishermen stared dumbfounded at the monster two human heights long, covered with a scaly shell. And the giant splashed his blood-red tail - and disappeared into the depths ...

Tell such a Russian fisherman, he will immediately be ridiculed. Who is not familiar with fishing tales: either a giant fish will fall off the hook, or the 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 don't see them. Since 1978, the record of the Rio Negro River (Brazil) has been held, where they caught arapaima with data of 2.48 m - 147 kg (the price of a kilogram of tender and tasty meat, which has almost no bones, far exceeds the monthly income of Amazonian fishermen. In North America, it can be seen in antique shops).

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

These giants live in the freshwater reservoirs of South America, in particular in the eastern and western parts of the Amazon basin (in the Rio Morona, Rio Pastaza and Lake Rimachi rivers). In these places there is a huge number of arapaima. In the Amazon itself, this fish is not so much, because. she prefers quiet streams with a weak current and a lot of vegetation. A pond with indented banks and a large number of floating plants is the ideal place for its habitat and existence.

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 you can hardly find such huge specimens in nature. In our time, most often come across specimens no more than 2-2.5 meters. But still, giants can be found, for example, in special aquariums or reserves.

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

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

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

You can't confuse the breathing pattern of this fish with anyone else. When they rise to the surface for a breath of fresh air, small whirlpools begin to form on the water surface, and then the fish itself appears at this place with a huge open mouth. All this action lasts just a couple of seconds. She releases the "old" air and takes a new sip, her mouth abruptly closes and goes into the depths. Adults breathe like this every 10-15 minutes, young ones a little more often.

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

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

The breeding season for pyrarucu is in November. But they begin to create pairs already in August-September. These giants are very caring parents, especially males. Then I immediately remembered how the male "sea dragons" take care of their offspring. These fish are not far behind. The male digs a shallow hole with a diameter of about 50 centimeters near the shore. The female lays her eggs in it. Then, throughout the entire period of development and maturation of eggs, the male is next to the clutch. He guards the eggs and swims near the "nest", while the females at this time drive away the fish swimming nearby.

A week later, fry are born. The male is also next to them. Or maybe they are with him? The young are kept 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 special glands on the head of adults. So, the mucus that is secreted by these glands contains a stable substance that attracts fry. It is what makes them stick together. But after 2.5-3 months, when the young grow up a little, these flocks break up. The bond between parents and children is weakening.

Once the meat of these monsters was the staple food of the peoples of the Amazon. Since the late 1960s, in many rivers, arapaims have disappeared completely: after all, only large fish were killed with a harpoon, while 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 compete with, pushes people to break the law. Arapaima breeding in artificial pools with heated water is promising: they grow as much as five times faster than carps!

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

The literature of past years greatly exaggerates the size of the arapaima. To some extent, these exaggerations began with the descriptions of R. Schomburk in the book Fishes of British Guiana, written after a trip to Guiana in 1836. Schomburk writes that fish can reach a length of 14 feet (foot = 0.305 meters) and weigh up to 400 pounds (pound = 0.454 kilograms). However, this information was obtained by the author secondhand - 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 expresses doubts about the authenticity of these stories. After reviewing all available and more or less reliable information, he concludes that members of the Arapaima species never exceed 9 feet in length, a fairly substantial size for a freshwater fish.

My own experience convinced me that McCormick was right. The animals we caught in Rio Pacay averaged 6 feet in length. 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 Animal Life, which depicted an Indian sitting on the back of a pyrarucu, 12 to 15 feet long, should be considered sheer fantasy.

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

For this reason alone, fast-flowing rivers like the Amazon are unsuitable for the existence of the Arapaima. The bottom of the Amazon always remains smooth and uniform, so there are few floating plants, the ones that are usually tangled among shrubs and hanging branches.

On Rio Pacai we found arapaima in backwaters, where, in addition to floating meadows of aquatic grasses, floating mimosas and hyacinths grew. In other places, these species may have been replaced by floating ferns, victoria-regia, and some others. The giant fish is invisible between the plants.

It is perhaps not surprising that arapaims prefer to breathe air rather than the oxygen of the swampy waters in which they live.

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

According to the whirlpool formed on the surface of the water, fishermen hunting for arapaima determine where to throw the harpoon. They throw their heavy weapons right into the middle of the whirlpool and most of the time they miss their target. But the fact is that a giant fish often lives in small reservoirs, 60-140 meters long, and whirlpools are constantly formed here, and therefore, the likelihood of a harpoon hitting an animal increases. Adults appear on the surface every 10-15 minutes, young ones more often.

Having reached a certain size, arapaima moves to the fish table, specializing mainly in bottom armored fish. In the stomachs of arapaima, the prickly needles of the pectoral fins of these fish are most often found.

In Rio Pakai, obviously, the conditions for the life of arapaima are the most favorable. The fish living here reach maturity within four to five years. By this time they are about six feet long 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 arapimes preparing to spawn. Everything happened in the clear and still waters of the quiet bay of Rio Pakai. The behavior of arapaima during spawning and their further care for offspring is truly an amazing sight.

In all likelihood, the spawning hole in the soft clay bottom of the fish is pulled out by mouth. In the quiet bay where we made our observations, the fish chose to spawn at a depth of only five feet below the surface. For several days, the male was within this place, and the female almost all the time kept 10-15 meters from him.

The young, hatched from the eggs, remain in the hole for about seven days. Next to them is constantly a male, either circling over the hole, or perched 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 floats to the surface at once to inhale the air-Spirit.

At the age of seven to eight days, the fry begin to feed on plankton. Watching the fish through the still waters of our quiet bay, we did not notice that the fish were rearing young growth "in vtu", that is, they would take the fish in their mouths in a moment of danger. There were also no signs that the larvae feed on a substance secreted from the platelike gills located on the heads of the parents. The local population makes a clear mistake, assuming that the young are fed by parental "milk".

In November 1959, I was able to count 11 schools of young fish in a lake of about 160 acres (an acre is about 0.4 hectares). They swam close to the shore and parallel to it. The flocks seemed to avoid the wind. This is probably due to the fact that the waves formed by the wind make it difficult to inhale air from the surface of the water.

We decided to see what would happen to a flock of fish if it suddenly lost its parents, and caught them. The orphaned fish, having lost contact with their parents, obviously lost contact with each other. The tight flock began to disintegrate and eventually dispersed. After some time, we noticed that the juveniles in other flocks differ significantly from each other in size. Such a large contrast could hardly be explained by the fact that the same generation of fish developed differently. Apparently, other Arapaima adopted orphans. Expanding the circle of swimming after the death of their parents, the orphaned flock of fish spontaneously mixed with neighboring groups.

On the head of the arapaima there are glands of a very interesting structure. Outside, they have a number of small, tongue-like protrusions, at the ends of which, with a magnifying glass, tiny holes can be discerned. Through these openings, the mucus formed in the glands is excreted.

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 is 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 had disappeared. And one more thing: a flock of juveniles gathers around a gauze pad, previously soaked in the secretions of the male. From both examples, it follows that the male secretes a relatively stable substance, thanks to which the whole group is held 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.

Residents of the village of Medio Jurua display gutted piraruca at Lake Manaria, Carauari municipality, Amazonas state, Brazil, on September 3, 2012. Piraruku is the largest freshwater fish in South America.

While fishing in the net of the inhabitants of the village of Medio Jurua, a caiman was caught. Villagers fishing for piraruca on Lake Manaria, Carauari Municipality, Amazonas State, Brazil, on September 3, 2012. Piraruku is the largest freshwater fish in South America.

The Amazon River with a length of 6762 kilometers is the longest, widest and fastest river in the world, and although Colombia owns only a hundred kilometers of it, it has a significant impact on the natural and climatic parameters of this region. About three thousand species of fish are found in this river, among them such unusual and amazing ones as arapaima - the largest freshwater fish, the mythical pink dolphin, predatory piranha eating her fanged payara, electric eel, stingray stingray, pacu - piranha fish with "human » teeth, catfish and finally, a small but treacherous candiru fish.

The Orinoco River, originating in Venezuela on the border with Brazil, flows only along a section of the eastern border of Colombia, but such large Colombian rivers as Meta, Casanare, Vichada, Guaviare, Inirida, Guania, Vaupes, Apaporis and Caqueta are its tributaries. The Casiquiare River, which begins as a branch of the Orinoco, flows into the Rio Negro, a tributary of the Amazon, thus forming a natural channel between the Orinoco and the Amazon. For this reason, some fish species can migrate throughout the water area of ​​both rivers.

Among the fish that live in the basins of both rivers, the most predatory and famous are piranhas, payar, electric eels and stingrays.

Piranha is called the scourge of Orinocia and Amazonia. And if all the inhabitants of the selva are afraid of her, then by herself, with pleasure, payara bites - a large predatory fish living in some rivers of the Orinoco basin.

payar or Saber-toothed tetra is a species of relatively little-known fish.
It can reach a length of 117 cm and weigh 17.8 kg. Ichthyophagus, eats piranhas in abundance.
The most notable features of the payara are the two pairs of fangs that reside in its lower jaw. A pair of them is visible, the second is in the jaw in a folded state and is invisible in the photographs. In large individuals, fangs reach 10-15 centimeters (4-6 inches), earning the fish the nickname "vampire fish".
Payaira feeds on almost any fish that smaller size, including piranhas and their own kind.

piranhas- small, on average up to 30 cm in length, fish inhabiting the rivers of South America. Young piranhas are silver-blue in color, with dark speckles, but darken with age and acquire a black mourning color. Despite their small stature, piranhas are one of the most voracious fish. The razor-sharp teeth of a piranha, when it closes its jaws, adjoin each other like a folded lock of fingers. With his teeth, he can easily bite a stick or a finger.

Shepherds driving herds across rivers where piranhas are found have to give one of the animals. And while the predators deal with the victim, aside from this place, the entire herd safely crosses to the other side. Wild animals proved to be no less intelligent than humans. To drink water or cross a river where piranhas are found, they begin to attract the attention of predators with the noise or splash of water. And when the flock of piranhas rush to the noise, the animals along the shore move to a safe place, drink quickly there or cross the river.

The quarrelsome nature of piranhas makes them often quarrel and attack each other.
Piranhas attack any living creature that is within their reach: large fish, domestic and wild animals in the river, humans. Alligator - and he tries to get out of their way.

Piranhas react to the smell of blood. As soon as a wounded animal enters the water where piranhas live, the fish, excited by the smell of blood, pounce on the victim. It only takes three minutes for piranhas to leave a bare skeleton from a tapir. Moreover, if the animal does not smell of blood, piranhas will not be interested in it. Therefore, they can be considered orderlies exterminating sick and wounded animals. Piranhas also feed on carrion, cleaning the bottom of the river. There are about 400 species of piranhas in the Amazon. Among them there are also peaceful vegetarians, and not all predators are so aggressive. Oddly enough, piranhas - caring parents and drive everyone away from their dwelling.

Paku- this time the fish is more amazing than scary. Although it still evokes a kind of mystical horror. And this fish is amazing in that it has teeth - neither give nor take - "human".

When such a fish was recently caught in the Chelyabinsk region (there must be someone, having played with an exotic animal, released it into a Russian reservoir), the entire Runet started talking about a mutant fish. Although it was just the Amazonian Pacu fish, which is caught almost on an industrial scale in Colombia and delivered to large cities - Bogota, Medellin, etc. Its meat is very tasty.
This fish is herbivorous, although it is very similar to piranha. Black pacu is the largest fish of the piranha family. The maximum dimensions are 70 cm. The body of fish of this family is high, laterally compressed.

Aravan- predatory, rather large fish - one of the most ancient fish on earth. It lives in the northern part of South America and in the Amazon basin, preferring dead branches of rivers with stagnant water. These fish often live in large flocks and devour any aquatic life. On average, its length is 90-120 cm. Despite the fact that Aravans look majestic and even a little aggressive, in fact they are very shy. They feed on insects and their larvae, fish that are smaller than them and can eat their own fry. Aravans ripen at the age of 4-6 years. Males are brighter and slimmer than females. In addition, they have an elongated anal fin and a more powerful lower jaw with a noticeably protruding edge.

Aravan spawning is seasonal, portioned. Marriage ceremonies unfold near the bottom. During the dance, the male knocks out the "gigantic" caviar from the female's abdomen (its diameter reaches 16 millimeters), fertilizes it and takes it into the mouth for subsequent incubation. A seven-centimeter juvenile emerges from pharyngeal confinement into the wild after 50-60 days, retaining a pendulous yolk sac for the first decade. However, this does not prevent hunting other people's juveniles and insects.
Aravans are excellent jumpers. They are able to jump out of the water up to 2 meters.
Several legends are associated with this fish, one of which says that the meat of this fish should not be eaten by pregnant women, because it will bring bad luck to the unborn child. Otherwise, it is a commercial fish.
Another legend claims that keeping this fish in an aquarium will bring good luck in business and prosperity. For this reason, it has become fashionable to keep these giants in aquariums. Aravan was first brought to Russia only in 1979 in single copies. Now it can be found quite often among aquarists with large aquariums.

Graceful Aravans have several types of color - silver and black Aravans are found in the Amazon. Blacks live in the Rio Negro basin, which is a tributary of the Amazon. Asian and African Aravans have a very beautiful color.

Arapaima(Piraruku) is the largest freshwater fish on our planet and lives mainly in the waters of South America (Amazon, Orinoco). Sometimes, some specimens exceed 3 meters in length. Upon reaching 1.5 meters in size, arapaim have a very bright, interesting color. The front half of the body is yellow-green, and the back half is bright beet red.

By the breeding season, usually in April or May, arapaima leaves for shallow places with clean water and sandy bottom. In such places, with the help of fins, the arapaima digs a nest about 50 cm in diameter and about 15 cm deep. There are cases when the arapaima uses the same nest for several years. Like most large fish, arapaima grows very quickly.
What is very interesting is that it is a lungfish that can breathe atmospheric air, similar to labyrinth fish.
The fish is rare, listed in the international Red Book.

Amazon river dolphin, bouto or iniya - the most large view river dolphins, the length of adults can reach 2.5 and weigh more than 200 kg. Dolphins are born with a dark color, but lighten with age and therefore they are often called pink. By their nature, inii are playful and curious, well tamed, but they are difficult to train and they are quite aggressive, so these dolphins are usually not kept in aquariums. Interestingly, the inia disperse the piranhas that teem in these waters, so bathers feel safe in such company, and fishermen follow them to find schools of fish.

Amazonian manatee- In total, scientists distinguish three types of manatees: Amazonian, American and African. All of them are included in the genus Sirenia.
It is believed that the first person to call manatees sirens was Christopher Columbus. “I observed three sea maidens,” he wrote quite seriously in the ship’s journal, “but they were not as beautiful as they are painted.” Columbus had no doubt that the creatures he met in the waters of the Caribbean Sea were sea maidens, or, in other words, sirens. At the very great navigator saw manatees.

It is hard to imagine how one could mistake these weighty, wrinkled, and even bristly muzzles of bluish-gray shades for beauties, but the myth that appeared about three thousand years ago has successfully survived to this day. The legend is so ingrained in literature and sea stories that the genus of manatees and their dugong relatives has been named Sirenia by biologists.
In the evolutionary series, mammals manatees (sirens) are placed between cetaceans and pinnipeds. A long time ago, the ancestors of manatees lived on land, grazed on the banks of water bodies, where there was a lot of juicy grass, and often found themselves in the water in search of food, and then completely moved there. Manatees have retained some features of land animals.

They have lungs and limbs that have evolved into flippers. However, on land, these seven hundred kilogram giants are completely helpless. They cannot move even by crawling, as seals or sea otters do. On the other hand, manatees, unlike whales, are able to get out of the shallows into the open sea.

They breathe infrequently. They rise to the surface for a new breath of air no more than 10-15 minutes later, and even less often during sleep.

The female manatee gives birth to cubs in the water. The male does not abandon the female after the birth of the cub. Manatees are very caring parents. The mother feeds her only cub with milk and allows him to ride on her when he gets tired.

Lomantines are curious, trusting and not aggressive, although they are able to stand up for themselves in case of danger. They are strict vegetarians and eat a huge amount of algae in shallow water. One animal eats at least 40-50 kilograms of algae per day. The gluttony of manatees makes them useful to humans.

Many riverbeds, canals and irrigation systems are heavily overgrown with algae, causing irrigation systems and hydroelectric power lines to fail. To help in eliminating this problem, manatees came, who with pleasure and great appetite fulfill their duty. A grazing manatee wields his flippers like a man with his hands. Perhaps it was because of this that the myth of the sea maidens arose ...

electric eel- the most dangerous fish of all electric fish. In terms of the number of human victims, it even outstrips the legendary piranha. This eel (by the way, it has nothing to do with ordinary eels) is capable of emitting a powerful electric charge. If you take a young eel in your hands, you feel a slight tingling, and this, given that the babies are only a few days old and they are only 2-3 cm in size. It is easy to imagine what sensations you get if you touch a two-meter eel. A person with such close communication receives a blow of 600 V and one can die from it. Electric eel sends powerful force waves up to 150 times a day. But the strangest thing is that, despite such weapons, the eel feeds mainly on small fish.
To kill a fish, an electric eel is enough to shudder, releasing a current. The victim dies instantly. The eel grabs it from the bottom, always from the head, and then, sinking to the bottom, digests the prey for several minutes.

Electric eels live in the rivers of South America, in in large numbers found in the waters of the Amazon. In those places where the eel lives, most often there is a large lack of oxygen. Therefore, the electric eel has a peculiarity of behavior. Eels stay under water for about 2 hours, and then swim to the surface and breathe there for 10 minutes, while ordinary fish only need to surface for a few seconds.
Electric eels - big fish, similar to huge fat worms: an adult can reach a length of up to 3 meters and have a mass of up to 40 kilograms. The body is elongated, slightly flattened laterally. The skin is bare, not covered with scales. The fins are very developed, with their help, the electric eel is able to easily move in all directions. The color of adult electric eels is brown, the underside of the head and throat is bright orange. The coloration of young individuals is paler.

The most interesting thing about the structure of electric eels is its electric organs, which occupy more than 2/3 of the body length. The positive pole of this "battery" lies in the front of the eel's body, the negative - in the back. The highest discharge voltage, according to observations in aquariums, can reach 650 V, but usually it is less, and in fish of a meter length it does not exceed 350 V. This power is enough to light 5 electric bulbs. The main electrical organs are used by the eel to protect itself from enemies and to paralyze prey. There is another additional electric organ, but the field generated by it plays the role of a locator: with the help of interference that occurs within this field, the eel receives information about obstacles in the way or about the approach of potential prey. The frequency of these location discharges is very small and is practically imperceptible for a person.

The discharge itself, which electric eels produce, is not fatal to humans, but it is still very dangerous. If you get an electric shock while underwater, you can easily lose consciousness.

Electric eel is aggressive. It can attack without warning, even if there is no threat to it. If something living gets into the area of ​​​​its force field, then the eel will not hide or swim away. It is better for the person himself to sail aside if an electric eel appears on the way. You should not swim up to this fish at a distance less than 3 meters, this is precisely the main range of the meter eel field.

stingray- another one dangerous fish Amazon.
The sandbank, where the bottom is perfectly visible, seems safe. But under a thin layer of sand, a flat, painted to match the color of the bottom, Araya river stingray, as the Brazilians call it, rests. An alarmed stingray beats with its tail, in the middle of which two serrated poisonous stilettos stick out. Poison flows down the groove into the spikes from a special gland, so the wound inflicted by the stingray is very painful. Having received a blow with stilettos, a person jumps out of the water, spurred on by unbearable pain, like a fiery whip. And then he falls to the sand, bleeding and losing consciousness. Wounds from poisoned stingray stilettos are said to be mostly fatal.
The Amazonian Indians use the large and durable spike of the stingray as an arrowhead. River stingrays, unlike their closest relatives, stingrays, are typical freshwater animals that inhabit the rivers of the Amazon basin. In addition to the Amazon, they are no longer found in any rivers, but only in the seas. Amazonian rays belong to the class cartilaginous fish, to the order of stingrays, to the family of river stingrays.

Candiru, or carnero - tiny, similar to a worm. Its length is 7-15 centimeters, and its thickness is only a few millimeters (on top of that, it is also half transparent). Candiru in the blink of an eye climbs into the natural openings on the body of a bathing person and bites into their walls from the inside. It is impossible to pull it out without surgical intervention.
The author of the book "In the Amazon Jungle" Elgot Lenj, who lived twelve months full of adventures in the Amazonian forests, says that among the forest inhabitants, because of the fear of the candiru, it became a custom to bathe only in special baths. Low above the water they build a boardwalk. A window is cut through in the middle - through it the bather draws water with a nut shell and, after a thorough examination, pours himself over himself.
Tropical fish - ordinary vandellia or candiru (lat. Vandellia cirrhosa), (eng. Candiru) lives in the Amazon and terrifies the local population. This is a small catfish, although some species reach 15 cm.

Asspread catfish live only in the Amazon, preferring brackish water near the mouth. Outwardly, the catfish resembles a tadpole - a wide head without gill covers, a wide and flat chest and a long, thin body. Aspredos are very caring parents - after fertilization, the female literally rubs the caviar into her belly. The eggs stick to the spongy skin, and then grow into it and feed by connecting with the mother's blood vessels. After hatching, the fry leave the mother's belly.

American flake(from the order of two-lungs) is another interesting fish of the Amazon basin. It lives in shallow swampy and drying water bodies of the Amazon basin and belongs to the order of the horn-tooth-shaped, the scaly family. Lungfish are a very ancient species of fish. The first lungfish appeared about 380 million years ago and are considered the most ancient fish on the planet. For a long time, such fish were known only from the fossilized remains that archaeologists found. Only in 1835 was it discovered that the protopter fish that lives in African reservoirs is precisely a lungfish.
In fact, six species of this group of fish have survived to this day, and the American flake (from the order of two-lungs) is one of them.
Modern lungfish are fish that live in fresh water. The main feature of which is that, in addition to gills, like all ordinary fish, they also have real lungs (a modified swim bladder), with which they can successfully breathe atmospheric air. This is where their name comes from.
The American flake or lepidosiren is the only lungfish that lives in South America. The length of its body reaches 1.2 m. Lepidosiren usually live in temporary reservoirs, which are filled with water only during heavy rains and floods.