Paiche vs Esturión

Arapaima gigas comparado con Acipenser sturio

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Paiche	Esturión
Nombre Científico	Arapaima gigas	Acipenser sturio
Orden	Osteoglossiformes	Perciformes
Familia	Arapaimidae	Acipenseridae
Conservation Status	Data Deficient	Critically Endangered

Physical Traits

Atributo	Paiche	Esturión
Longitud Máxima	450,0 cm	600,0 cm
Peso Máximo	200,0 kg	400,0 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.	Gray-brown to dark brownish-black back with 5 rows of bony scutes that are yellowish-white; sides pale grayish-brown to whitish; belly creamy-white; thick armored body with a shark-like heterocercal tail.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Paiche	Esturión
Tipo de Agua	Freshwater	Freshwater & Saltwater
Rango de Profundidad	—	4-93m
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 …	Historically ranged across European coastal waters from the North Sea and Baltic to the Mediterranean and Black seas, spawning in major rivers like the Rhine, …
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. …	Neritic, estuaries

Información de Pesca

Atributo	Paiche	Esturión
Pez de Pesca Deportiva	Sí	No
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.

Esturión

Critically Endangered — consumption is illegal throughout its range. Historically prized for its delicate flesh and black caviar; now one of the world's most threatened fish species.

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.

Esturión

The European sturgeon is a critically endangered anadromous fish that can live over 100 years. Once abundant in European rivers, it is now restricted to a small population in the Gironde estuary. Its eggs are harvested as beluga-grade caviar.