What does arapaima mean?
The arapaima is a giant freshwater fish native to the Amazon and its tributaries in South America, widely regarded as one of the largest purely freshwater fish on Earth. Scientifically known as Arapaima gigas, it can grow beyond two metres in length and weigh over a hundred kilograms. Unusually for a fish, it is an obligate air-breather, rising to the surface every few minutes to gulp oxygen with its swim bladder, a trait that makes it conspicuous in calm water. The word appears chiefly in natural history writing, angling literature, and conservation reporting, since overfishing has depleted wild stocks across much of its range. Locally it is also called pirarucu in Brazil and paiche in Peru, names borrowed into English alongside 'arapaima'. For readers, the word evokes the mystery and scale of the Amazon's river systems and the ongoing effort to manage them sustainably.
nounA very large air-breathing freshwater fish (Arapaima gigas) native to the Amazon basin of South America, and one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.
- The large South American freshwater fish Arapaima gigas, a prized food fish and popular angling target.
"The arapaima surfaced noisily to gulp air before slipping back beneath the dark water."
"Anglers travel to Guyana hoping to hook an arapaima, which can weigh well over a hundred kilograms."
"Overfishing has sharply reduced wild arapaima populations along parts of the Amazon."
The regular plural 'arapaimas' is standard; the singular form is sometimes used unchanged when referring to multiple individuals, especially in scientific contexts.
"Several arapaimas were released into the protected lake as part of the recovery programme."
The arapaima is so big it has to breathe air — it surfaces every few minutes to gulp oxygen, making it one of the few giant fish you can actually hear coming.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of arapaima
The word 'arapaima' comes from Tupi, an indigenous language family of Brazil, via Brazilian Portuguese, and entered English through naturalists' accounts of Amazonian wildlife in the nineteenth century. It belongs to a small group of English borrowings from Tupi, alongside words such as 'piranha', 'tapioca', and 'toucan'. The fish's local names pirarucu and paiche likewise derive from indigenous South American languages.
How arapaima is actually used
Used mainly in natural-history, angling, and conservation contexts rather than everyday conversation. The alternative names 'pirarucu' (Brazilian Portuguese) and 'paiche' (Peruvian Spanish) are common locally but less familiar to English speakers.
Easily confused with arapaima
The piranha is a small, often predatory Amazonian fish, whereas the arapaima is a huge, generally harmless air-breathing fish that can exceed two metres in length.