Tambaqui
Encyclopedia
The tambaqui is a freshwater fish
of the subfamily Serrasalminae
, family Characidae
. It is also known by the names pacu
, black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu, cachama and gamitana.
Fossils of a living species of Colossoma from the Miocene
have been described, suggesting a very conservative history for a specialized herbivorous fish.
. The tambaqui is found in the Amazon
and Orinoco
basins in its wild form. However, its pisciculture form is widely distributed in South America.
(Pacu is a different fish. It is smaller than tambaqui)
s in total weight.
It is similar in shape to the piranha
and is sometimes confused with the carnivorous fish; the pacu is tall and laterally compressed with large eyes and a slightly arched back. Body color is basic black to gray with spots and blemishes in its mid body. All the fins are black and the pectoral fins are small. Around 10 percent of a tambaqui's weight is fat
. The world record recognized by IGFA belongs to the Brazilian Jorge Masullo de Aguiar with 32.4 kg.
. The tambaqui feeds on zooplankton
, insect
s, snail
s, and decaying plants. Research has indicated the species plays an important role in dispersing seeds from fruits.
because it can live in mineral poor waters and is very resistant to diseases. This species is marketed fresh and frozen.
In Thailand
this fish, known locally as Pla khu dam (ปลาคู้ดำ), was introduced from Hong Kong
and Singapore
as part of fish farming projects, but has adapted to local conditions and thrives in the wild in some areas.
Fish
Fish are a paraphyletic group of organisms that consist of all gill-bearing aquatic vertebrate animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish, as well as various extinct related groups...
of the subfamily Serrasalminae
Serrasalminae
Serrasalminae is a subfamily of fish within the family Characidae. The name means "serrated salmon family", which refers to the serrated keel running along the belly of these fish.-Common names:...
, family Characidae
Characidae
The Characidae, characids or characins are a family of freshwater subtropical and tropical fish, belonging to the order Characiformes. The name "characins" is the historical one, but scientists today tend to prefer "characids" to reflect their status as a by and large monophyletic group at family...
. It is also known by the names pacu
Pacú
Pacu or pacú is the common name of several South American fishes.PACU, Pacu or pacú may also refer to:*Piaractus mesopotamicus , a South American ray-finned fish that is endemic to the Paraguay-Paraná River basin*Tambaqui , known as black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu*Philippine Association...
, black pacu, black-finned pacu, giant pacu, cachama and gamitana.
Fossils of a living species of Colossoma from the Miocene
Miocene
The Miocene is a geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about . The Miocene was named by Sir Charles Lyell. Its name comes from the Greek words and and means "less recent" because it has 18% fewer modern sea invertebrates than the Pliocene. The Miocene follows the Oligocene...
have been described, suggesting a very conservative history for a specialized herbivorous fish.
Distribution
The tambaqui is the largest characin of South AmericaSouth America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The tambaqui is found in the Amazon
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
and Orinoco
Orinoco
The Orinoco is one of the longest rivers in South America at . Its drainage basin, sometimes called the Orinoquia, covers , with 76.3% of it in Venezuela and the remainder in Colombia...
basins in its wild form. However, its pisciculture form is widely distributed in South America.
(Pacu is a different fish. It is smaller than tambaqui)
Description
It may reach more than 1 metre in total length and 30 kilogramKilogram
The kilogram or kilogramme , also known as the kilo, is the base unit of mass in the International System of Units and is defined as being equal to the mass of the International Prototype Kilogram , which is almost exactly equal to the mass of one liter of water...
s in total weight.
It is similar in shape to the piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
and is sometimes confused with the carnivorous fish; the pacu is tall and laterally compressed with large eyes and a slightly arched back. Body color is basic black to gray with spots and blemishes in its mid body. All the fins are black and the pectoral fins are small. Around 10 percent of a tambaqui's weight is fat
Fat
Fats consist of a wide group of compounds that are generally soluble in organic solvents and generally insoluble in water. Chemically, fats are triglycerides, triesters of glycerol and any of several fatty acids. Fats may be either solid or liquid at room temperature, depending on their structure...
. The world record recognized by IGFA belongs to the Brazilian Jorge Masullo de Aguiar with 32.4 kg.
Ecology
This species is usually solitary. Adults stay in flooded forests during the first 5 months of flooding and consume fruits and grains. Young and juveniles live in black waters of flood plains until sexual maturitySexual maturity
Sexual maturity is the age or stage when an organism can reproduce. It is sometimes considered synonymous with adulthood, though the two are distinct...
. The tambaqui feeds on zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
, insect
Insect
Insects are a class of living creatures within the arthropods that have a chitinous exoskeleton, a three-part body , three pairs of jointed legs, compound eyes, and two antennae...
s, snail
Snail
Snail is a common name applied to most of the members of the molluscan class Gastropoda that have coiled shells in the adult stage. When the word is used in its most general sense, it includes sea snails, land snails and freshwater snails. The word snail without any qualifier is however more often...
s, and decaying plants. Research has indicated the species plays an important role in dispersing seeds from fruits.
Relationship to humans
The tambaqui is used in aquacultureAquaculture
Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants. Aquaculture involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions, and can be contrasted with commercial fishing, which is the...
because it can live in mineral poor waters and is very resistant to diseases. This species is marketed fresh and frozen.
In Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
this fish, known locally as Pla khu dam (ปลาคู้ดำ), was introduced from Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
and Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
as part of fish farming projects, but has adapted to local conditions and thrives in the wild in some areas.