The Arapaima is one of the strongest freshwater fish in the world.
For many anglers, a trip to South America is on their bucket list of dream fishing destinations. There are so many incredible species inhabiting the Amazon River just begging to be caught. Wolf fish, peacock bass, vampire fish, and silver arowanas are just a few of the fish that bring anglers from around the world to fish in the jungle.
One of the more exciting species to target down there is the arapaima. These beasts grow up to ten feet long and can weigh over 400 pounds. Anglers like to target them because they offer one of the best fights you can get on the Amazon.
Between the blazing fast runs and vicious headshakes, this species tests the will and strength of some of the most experienced anglers on the planet. In today's video, YouTuber Ty PigPatrol tangles with a 250-pounder on the Amazon in Guyana. It winds up being one of the most amazing freshwater fish fights we've seen on video.
This is what they are talking about when someone mentions "river monsters." You know it's a big fish when it takes two grown men to just barely lift it. They could barely get their arms around that thing. It's wild to think this is not even as large as these fish can grow.
Much like the alligator gar or sturgeon, this fish is a survivor. Fossils have been found of arapaima dating back nearly 23 million years. Just chalk it up as another one of nature's perfect designs. The arapaima stands the test of time.
Another fascinating aspect of this fish is the fact it can also breathe air. This allows the arapaima to live in low oxygen waters that would suffocate other fish. This helps the fish survive if it happens to get cut off from the river in a small oxbow lake during the dry seasons. We don't know about you, but we really want to head to the Amazon to tangle with one of these monsters for ourselves!
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For more outdoor content from Travis Smola, be sure to follow him on Twitter and check out his Geocaching and Outdoors with Travis YouTube channels.
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