Paiche vs Anguila europea

Arapaima gigas comparado con Anguilla anguilla

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Paiche	Anguila europea
Nombre Científico	Arapaima gigas	Anguilla anguilla
Orden	Osteoglossiformes	Elopomorpha
Familia	Arapaimidae	Megalopidae
Conservation Status	Data Deficient	Critically Endangered

Physical Traits

Atributo	Paiche	Anguila europea
Longitud Máxima	450,0 cm	133,0 cm
Peso Máximo	200,0 kg	6,6 kg
Color	Dark olive-gray to grayish-black back with large scales that become vivid red-orange with black borders on the posterior flanks; belly pale cream; caudal fin reddish and rounded.	Yellow-olive to olive-brown back and sides in the freshwater 'yellow eel' phase; maturing 'silver eel' phase develops a dark gray-black back with a silvery-white belly and enlarged eyes.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Paiche	Anguila europea
Tipo de Agua	Freshwater	Freshwater & Saltwater
Rango de Profundidad	—	0-700m
Distribución Geográfica	Restricted to the Amazon River basin in Brazil, Peru, Guyana, and Bolivia. Inhabits flooded várzea lakes, oxbows, and large river channels; surfaces frequently to breathe …	Spawns in the Sargasso Sea and larvae drift to European and North African coasts on the Gulf Stream. Adults inhabit rivers, lakes, and coastal waters …
Hábitat	Floodplain lakes (várzea) and large river channels of the Amazon basin. Slow-moving, shallow, warm freshwater (26-30°C). An obligate air-breather; rises to surface to gulp air. …	Estuaries

Información de Pesca

Atributo	Paiche	Anguila europea
Pez de Pesca Deportiva	Sí	Sí
Clasificación de Pelea	10/10	—
Récord Mundial	—	—
Nivel de Mercurio	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Paiche

Large, firm white fillets with a mild, clean flavor and low fat; historically a staple protein in Amazonian communities. Often salted and dried; sustainable harvest is tightly regulated.

Anguila europea

Rich, fatty flesh with a distinctive earthy flavor; classically smoked, jellied (in Britain), or grilled kabayaki-style. Critically Endangered — consumption strongly discouraged; population down 90%.

Species Overview

Paiche

The arapaima is one of the largest freshwater fish in the world, reaching up to 4.5 meters. An obligate air-breather, it must surface every 10-20 minutes to gulp air. Its tongue is bony and used to crush prey against the roof of its mouth.

Anguila europea

The European eel undertakes one of nature's most remarkable migrations, traveling 5,000 km from European rivers to the Sargasso Sea to spawn and die. Despite centuries of study, its breeding grounds were only recently confirmed.