Arapaima
Name: Arapaima (Pirarucu)
Species: Arapaima gigas
Thai name: Pla Tjon Amazon
Max length in excess: 5 m
Max weight: 400 kg
IGFA record: 83 kg
S
Diet: fish, animal's and birds.
General facts on the Arapaima:
Arapaima are the largest scaled freshwater fish in the world, they originate from the river Amazon in South America in the past they have been known to reach lengths in excess of 5 meter's weighing 400 kilo due to over fishing and destruction of there natural habitat very few if any fish this size exist in the wild today. Arapaima first came to Thailand some 30 years ago for the aquarium trade however due to there rapid growth rate they out grew tanks very quickly hence in the past they were then put into ponds were they thrived and grew as the climate here suits them more than there native homes the Thais grow them to breed from and as a food source and in recent years they have found there way into commercial fisheries as a game fish. In the wild Arapaima have evolved and adapted to there hostile environment when the rivers rise they go in search of food in the flooded jungle as the flood waters recede they become trapped in flood ponds as the oxygen depletes other fish die the Arapaima evolved to an air breather allowing them to feast on the dead and dying fish then live in poor quality water till the next floods come. In the wild Arapaima spawn around February to April scooping out a nest aprox 15 cm deep in sandy bottoms preferring depths up to 2 meter's the female Arapaima is sexually mature at the age of five years old and are typically 160 centimeters in length at this point in their life. The parental care includes helping to aerate the water for its offspring, which is a necessity for survival of the offspring in the oxygen-deficient waters of some habitats. Adults have the ability to exude a pheromone from their head to attract offspring and keep them in close proximity. Arapaima communicates with it's offspring by means of attractive pheromones, which keep the offspring near. they lay thousands of eggs and guard there nests and young, the female grows white tubercules which the young feed on she stays within 300 cm of the lake surface as the young must breath air every 60 seconds at 8weeks the young can be removed from the female with a fine net, but it is a risky situation as the male guards the young, at 3 months the parents will eat there young to control over crowding. In Thailand Arapaima spawn in October in 2007 our lake had 2 spawning pairs we successfully removed 60 fry which are now growing on happily in one of our stock ponds.
Mekong Catfish
| Name: Mekong Catfish Species: Pangasianodon gigas Thai name: Pla Buk Max length in excess: 3 m Max weight: 300 kg IGFA record: 84kg (185lbs 2oz) Diet: plankton, plants, shrimp, sticky rice, boilie, cereal, maize and fish. |
General facts on the Mekong Catfish:
Mekong giant catfish the world's largest scaleless freshwater fish have very low-set eyes and are silvery dark grey they are toothless herbivores who live off the plants and algae in the river. Juveniles wear the characteristic catfish "whiskers," called barbels, but these features shrink as they age. Highly migratory Mekong catfish require large stretches of river for their seasonal journeys and specific environmental conditions in their spawning and breeding areas. They are thought to rear primarily in Cambodia's Tonle Sap Lake and migrate hundreds of miles north to spawning grounds in Thailand; they will not spawn in Stillwater. They are bred artificially on fish farms such as our friend Mr Toe's who is involved with the re stocking programme for the Mekong river, we only buy our Mekong's from a reputable source such as Mr Toe, unlike some commercial fisheries none of our fish of any species have been taken from the wild. Once plentiful throughout the Mekong basin, population numbers have dropped by some 95 percent over the past century, and this critically endangered fish now teeters on the brink of extinction. Overfishing is the primary culprit in the giant catfish's decline, but damming of Mekong tributaries, destruction of spawning and breeding grounds, and siltation have taken a huge toll. Some experts think there may only be a few hundred adults left in the wild today. International efforts are underway to save the species. It is now illegal in Thailand, Laos, and Cambodia to harvest Mekong catfish. On 9 June, Thailand marked King Bhumibol Adulyadej's 60th year on the throne. A crowd of over half a million people gathered in the nation's capital, Bangkok, prisoners were released, and fishermen in the north of the country declared they would no longer catch the Mekong giant catfish. Instead, they will hand over their nets to the government, in return for $500 per net. , In a further bid to safeguard the species, the Thai Department of Fisheries has released approximately 10,000 captive-bred individuals into the Mekong river since 2000 However, enforcement of fishing restrictions in many isolated villages along the Mekong is nearly impossible, and illicit and bycatch takings continue along with sales to commercial fisheries. The largest catch recorded in Thailand since record-keeping began was a female measuring 2.7 mtrs in length and weighing 293 kg (646 lb). This specimen, caught in 2005, is widely recognized as the largest freshwater fish ever caught. Thai Fisheries officials stripped the fish of its eggs as part of a breeding programme, intending then to release it, but the fish died in captivity and was sold as food to local villagers.
Siamese Carp
General facts on Siamese Carp:
The Siamese giant carp is the largest species of carp in the world. These migratory fish are found only in the Mae Klong, Mekong and Chao Phraya river basins. They are a desirable food fish, which has caused a serious decline in there numbers. They are usually found in the big pools along the edges of large rivers, but will seasonally enter smaller canals, floodplains and flooded forests. Young barbs are usually found in smaller tributaries and swamps, but can acclimatize to living in ponds, canals and swamps. These are migratory fish, swimming to favorable areas for feeding they breed in October they do not spawn in still waters. There head is rather large for the body and they have huge mouths. There are said to be no barbels however if you look closely some do have tiny single barbs on either side of there lower lip. The Siamese Carp are among the largest freshwater fish in the world and are probably the largest fish in the family Cyprinidae.Large examples of this species can be 3 m (10 ft) and 300 kg (660 lb). Among the carp family only Mahseer have reached comparable dimensions, but large mahseers have only been recorded in centuries past. Cyprinids are highly important food fish; they are fished and farmed across Asia.., in certain places they remain popular for food as well as recreational fishing , and have been deliberately stocked in ponds and lakes for centuries for this reason. It is the largest family of fresh-water fish, with about 2,420 species of cyprinids in about 220 genera. The family belongs to the order Cypriniformes.
