Ecuador - List of fishes

When searching for food, it often swims with it head bowed down. During breeding, the female deposits it eggs in areas where aquatic vegetation is dense.

The arapaima, a freshwater giant reaching sizes of up to 4.5 meters, plays a vital role as a dominant predator in the Amazon basin. Equipped with thick and resilient scales that provide effective protection against predators, this iconic freshwater fish is threatened by overfishing. Juveniles breathe through their gills while adults often use their swim bladder to gulp air at the surface.

Chaetostoma microps is a species widely distributed in the rivers of the upper Amazon basin in Ecuador and Peru. This catfish, capable of climbing waterfalls, has been recorded up to 1783 meters above sea level. It mainly feeds on algae that it grazes on rocky bottoms. It is locally consumed by Ecuadorian and Peruvian communities.

Small barbs located around its mouth enable it to search for food in the sand or mud. It goes regularly at the surface to breathe oxygen from the air. It acclimate easily to aquarium.

During breeding, the male digs a hole in the sand. A female will deposit it eggs that it will shelter in its mouth. After hatching, the young remain close to the adults. In case of danger, they take refuge in the mouths of their parents. It is bred in pisciculture.

The male is much smaller and more colorful than the female. It is an ovoviviparous species, the male fertilizes it partner through its anal fin which forms a kind of gutter. It is the most popular aquarium fish, there are many varieties.

It is a nocturnal hunter. It lives in the bottom of the rivers, where it remains upright to hide among the reeds. It fits well in a large aquarium. But we must avoid leaving it with small fish that it could eat.