Pirarucu vs Grand requin blanc

Arapaima gigas comparé à Carcharodon carcharias

Taxonomy & Classification

Attribut	Pirarucu	Grand requin blanc
Nom scientifique	Arapaima gigas	Carcharodon carcharias
Ordre	Osteoglossiformes	Lamniformes
Famille	Arapaimidae	Lamnidae
Conservation Status	Data Deficient	Vulnerable

Physical Traits

Attribut	Pirarucu	Grand requin blanc
Longueur maximale	450,0 cm	600,0 cm
Poids maximum	200,0 kg	1905,0 kg
Couleur	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.	Classic countershaded coloration: slate-gray to charcoal-brown dorsal surface with a sharply defined boundary to a pure white ventral surface; pectoral fin tips dusky to black.

Habitat & Environment

Attribut	Pirarucu	Grand requin blanc
Type d'eau	Freshwater	Saltwater
Plage de profondeur	—	0-1280m
Aire de répartition	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 …	Cosmopolitan in cool to warm coastal and offshore waters of all major oceans. Key aggregation sites include South Africa, California, South Australia, and New Zealand. …
Habitat	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

Informations sur la pêche

Attribut	Pirarucu	Grand requin blanc
Poisson de pêche sportive	Oui	Oui
Cote de combativité	10/10	—
Record du monde	—	—
Teneur en mercure	—	—

Cuisine & Edibility

Pirarucu

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.

Grand requin blanc

Edible but rarely consumed; flesh requires careful handling to remove ammonia. Consumption is strongly discouraged — this species is Vulnerable and protected in many jurisdictions.

Species Overview

Pirarucu

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.

Grand requin blanc

The great white shark is the world's largest predatory fish. Found in coastal surface waters of all major oceans, it can detect a single drop of blood in 100 liters of water. Despite its fearsome reputation, attacks on humans are rare.