arapaima

American  

[ar-uh-pahy-muh] / ˌær əˈpaɪ mə /

noun

1. a large freshwater fish, Arapaima gigas, of Brazil and Guiana, reputed to reach a length of 15 feet (4.5 meters) and a weight of 500 pounds (225 kilograms).

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arapaima British  

/ ˌærəˈpaɪmə /

noun

1. a very large primitive freshwater teleost fish, Arapaima gigas, that occurs in tropical South America and can attain a length of 4.5 m (15 ft) and a weight of 200 kg (440 lbs): family Osteoglossidae

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Etymology

Origin of arapaima

First recorded in 1830–40; from Portuguese, from Tupi

Example Sentences

Thousands of miles away from the Amazon, down a hilly dirt road on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, Nova Kaeru will process about 50,000 skins from legally-caught giant pirarucu or arapaima fish this year.

From Seattle Times

An example of good practice is fishing arapaima, one of the world’s largest freshwater fish, in Brazil’s Amazon, co-chair of the report Jean-Marc Fromentin of France told the AP.

From Seattle Times

One of the most valuable targets is the world’s largest freshwater fish with scales, the arapaima.

From Seattle Times

But a fearsome new invasive predator has emerged in the state: the arapaima, a monster fish that can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh hundreds of pounds.

From Washington Times

The arapaima is native to the Amazon River in South America and is one of the world’s largest predatory fish.

From Washington Times