Editing Arapaima (section)

{{Short description|Genus of large, Amazonian bonytongue fish}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2022}}
{{Automatic taxobox
| image = Arapaima gigas at Beijing aquarium.JPG
| image_caption = ''[[Arapaima gigas]]'' at [[Beijing Aquarium]]
| taxon = Arapaima
| authority = [[Johannes Peter Müller|J. P. Müller]], 1843
| type_species = ''Sudis gigas''
| type_species_authority = [[Heinrich Rudolf Schinz|Schinz]], 1822
| subdivision_ranks = Species
| subdivision = 4–5, see text
| synonyms = * ''Sudis'' <small>G. Cuvier, 1816</small> (preoccupied)
* ''Vastres'' <small>Valenciennes, 1847</small>
}}

The '''arapaima''', '''pirarucu''', or '''paiche''' is any large species of [[bonytongue]] in the genus '''''Arapaima''''' native to the [[Amazon Basin|Amazon]] and [[Essequibo River|Essequibo]] basins of South America. ''Arapaima'' is the [[type genus]] of the subfamily [[Arapaiminae]] within the family [[Osteoglossidae]].<ref name="Hilton2018">{{cite journal |last1=Hilton |first1=E. J. |last2=Lavoué |first2=S. |title=A review of the systematic biology of fossil and living bony-tongue fishes, Osteoglossomorpha (Actinopterygii: Teleostei) |journal=Neotropical Ichthyology |date=2018 |volume=16 |issue=3 |doi=10.1590/1982-0224-20180031|s2cid=92396368 |doi-access=free }}</ref><ref name=FishBase/><ref name=CastelloStewart>Castello, L.; and Stewart, D.J (2008). ''[http://www.conabio.gob.mx/institucion/cooperacion_internacional/TallerNDF/Links-Documentos/Casos%20de%20Estudio/Fishes/WG8%20CS1.pdf Assessing CITES non-detriment findings procedures for Arapaima in Brazil.]'' NDF Workshop case studies (Mexico 2008), WG 8 – Fishes, Case study 1</ref> They are among the world's largest freshwater fish, reaching as much as {{convert|3|m|ft|abbr=on}} in length.<ref name=FishBase/> They are an important food fish. They have declined in the native range due to [[overfishing]] and habitat loss. In contrast, arapaima have been [[Introduced species|introduced]] to several tropical regions outside the native range (within South America and elsewhere), where they are sometimes considered [[invasive species]].<ref>Miranda-Chumacero, G.; Wallace, R.; Calderón, H.; Calderón, G.; Willink, P.; Guerrero, M.; Siles, T.M.; Lara, K.; and Chuqui, D. (2012). ''[http://www.reabic.net/journals/bir/2012/2/BIR_2012_2_Miranda_etal.pdf Distribution of arapaima (Arapaima gigas) (Pisces: Arapaimatidae) in Bolivia: implications in the control and management of a non-native population.]'' BioInvasions Records 1(2): 129–138</ref> In [[Kerala]], India, arapaima escaped from aquaculture ponds after [[2018 Kerala floods|floods in 2018]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Kumar |first1=Biju |last2=Raj |first2=Smrithy |last3=C.P. |first3=Arjun |last4=Katwate |first4=Unmesh |last5=Raghavan |first5=Rajeev |date=2019-05-22 |title=Jurassic invaders: flood-associated occurrence of arapaima and alligator gar in the rivers of Kerala |url=https://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/116/10/1628.pdf |journal=[[Current Science]] |publisher=[[Current Science Association]] + [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] |volume=116 |pages=1628–1630 |issue=10}} [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/333556498_Jurassic_invaders_flood-associated_occurrence_of_arapaima_and_alligator_gar_in_the_rivers_of_Kerala ResearchGate]. [[CAB Direct (database)|CABD]] [http://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/20210033477 20210033477].</ref> Its [[Portuguese language|Portuguese]] name, ''pirarucu'', derives from the [[Tupi language]] words ''pira'' and ''urucum'', meaning "red fish".<ref>{{cite web |title=Arapaima |url=https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/arapaima |website=Smithsonian's National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute }}</ref>

''Arapaima'' was not traditionally regarded as a [[monotypic genus]], but later, several species were distinguished.<ref name=CastelloStewart/><ref name=Stewart2013a>Stewart, D.J. (2013). ''A New Species of ''Arapaima'' (Osteoglossomorpha: Osteoglossidae) from the Solimões River, Amazonas State, Brazil.'' [[Copeia]], 2013 (3): 470–476.</ref><ref name=Stewart2013b>Stewart, D. J. (2013). ''Redescription of Arapaima agassizii (Valenciennes), a rare fish from Brazil (Osteoglossomorpha, Osteoglossidae).'' Copeia, 2013: 38–51</ref> As a consequence of this [[Taxonomy (biology)|taxonomic]] confusion, most earlier studies were done using the name ''A. gigas'', but this species is only known from old [[Biological specimen|museum specimens]] and the exact native range is unclear. The regularly seen and studied species is ''A. arapaima'',<ref name=Stewart2013a/><ref name=Stewart2013b/><ref name=Dawes>Dawes, J: ''[http://www.petproductnews.com/web-exclusives/arapaima-re-classification-and-the-trade.aspx Arapaima Re-classification and the Trade.] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141222053118/http://www.petproductnews.com/web-exclusives/arapaima-re-classification-and-the-trade.aspx |date=December 22, 2014 }}'' Retrieved 24 May 2014</ref>  although a small number of ''A. leptosoma'' also have been recorded in the [[aquarium trade]].<ref>Howard, B.C. (13 October 2013). ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20131014024911/http://newswatch.nationalgeographic.com/2013/10/13/new-species-of-giant-air-breathing-fish-freshwater-species-of-the-week/ New Species of Giant Air-Breathing Fish: Freshwater Species of the Week.]'' National Geographic. Retrieved 24 May 2014</ref> The remaining species are virtually unknown: ''A. agassizii'' from old detailed drawings (the [[type specimen]] itself was lost during [[World War II]] bombings) and ''A. mapae'' from the type specimen.<ref name=CastelloStewart/><ref name=Stewart2013a/><ref name=Stewart2013b/>