The Arapaima, is one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world, it lives in the Amazon River, in South America, and can reach sizes of more than 2 meters (6.6 ft.) and can weigh over 100kg (220 lbs).

A bit of background information.      

The diet of the Arapaima consists of fish, crustaceans, and other small animals. The fish is an air-breather, using its labyrinth organ, which is rich in blood vessels and opens into the fish’s mouth, an advantage in oxygen-deprived water that is often found in the Amazon River. This fish is therefore able to survive in shallow waters.

This fish has medicinal qualities, it is dried and combined with guarana bark, which is grated and mixed into water. Doses of this are given to kill intestinal worms.

Guarana, is a tree, with leaves, which are just like that of the maple tree, it is native to the Amazon Basin. Guarana contains double the amount of Caffeine than the coffee bean. so it is a dietary supplement.    

In addition, the Arapaima’s bony tongue is often used to scrape cylinders of dried guarana, an ingredient in some beverages, and the bony scales are used as nail files.

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