Other Exotic Species of the Amazon/Orinoco Watershed

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The Amazon Basin is home to more than 2 million insect species, 200,000 plants, 4,000 species of fish (more than Atlantic and Pacific Oceans together) and more than 800 mammals, many of which are found nowhere else in the world.

Of the 4,000 species of fish in the Amazon Basin, maybe a dozen or so are considered prized sportfish by local and visiting anglers. Let us take a look at some of the lesser known species that, in many instances, are just as dynamic an angling adversary as the peacock bass.

Although the peacock bass has garnered the most attention by anglers visiting the Amazon/Orinoco Watershed, the sabre-tooth payara (Hydrolicus scomberoides) or Cachorro is rapidly gaining ground as a prized sportfish for international anglers from throughout the world. Larry Dahlberg, host of ESPN's Hunt for the Big Fish series, describes the payara as having "the body of an elongated permit and the tail of a salmon." These anatomical characteristics not only allow it to be quite comfortable residing in and around rapidly moving water, but also make it quite a powerful adversary on the end of ones line. These fish leap like a tarpon, their silvery iridescent bodies providing a beautiful site as they contort some four feet out of the water, and make runs comparable to any saltwater light tackle gamefish.

The payara's most unforgettable features are the two long teeth protruding up from its lower jaw. When the payara clamps its mouth shut, these 4-6 inch fangs fit nicely through corresponding sockets in the upper jaw. These great predators attack upward, impaling prey with their fangs and then swallowing them whole and head first.

The payara will take an assortment of artificial lures. Fly anglers are just now exploring ways to get their large streamer patterns into the deeper zones of the current-laden rivers, which harbor populations of giant payara. The greatest concentrations of payara have been found at the Uraima Falls on the Paragua River in southeastern Venezuela, Lake Guri in the same region, and Venezuela's Orinoco, Ventuari, and Caura Rivers.

The dorado (Salminus maxillosus) is a powerful game fish of the characin family, Characidae, found in South American rivers. The dorado was appropriately given its name by fisheries scientists, as Salminus refers to the fact that it is trout or salmon like and maxillosus refers to the jaw. The dorado is golden, with red fins and with lengthwise rows of dots on its body, and superficially resembles a salmon. The fish has immensely powerful jaws and a wire leader is necessary when fishing for this species. It reaches a length of about 1 m (39 inches) and a weight of more than 40 pounds.

Dorado attack a lure or fly with unbelievable gusto and perform aerial acrobatics similar to a tarpon. Typically, anglers would use tackle that would be appropriate for trophy peacock bass, that being 6'6" MH to H action casting rods, reels with smooth drag and either braided line or abrasion resistant monofilament with a wire leader. Fly anglers typically use sinking tip lines on 8 to 10 weight outfits. Streamer flies tied on circle hooks seem to have a higher hook up percentage.

Dorado are concentrated in an area between Northern Argentina and southern Brazil and Bolivia.

The sardinata (Pellona castelnaeana) or Amazon pellona is from the family Clupeidae (along with herrings, shads, sardines, menhadens). It has an iridescent gold coloration very reminiscent of the golden river dorado. It is an excellent sportfish, highly prized by anglers that have been introduced to it. It readily takes surface and subsurface lures and flies. It tends to school in large numbers, especially during spawning runs and prefers current-laden water.

Although the fish typically average in the neighborhood of 6 to 8 lbs., they can reach in excess of 20 pounds. They are an excellent fighting fish, their leaps and runs comparable to small tarpon. Sardinata are found in the Amazon Basin in the vicinity of Iquitos, Peru as well as the Orinoco watershed. The best concentration to date has been in Venezuela's Caura River.

The arawana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a freshwater gamefish that seems to be taken more by accident than by being specifically targeted by anglers. They are most likely to be caught beneath trees that overhang the water. These large scaled, silvery colored fish are somewhat eel-like in appearance and possess a long dorsal and anal fin that join the tail fin. They tend to be very surface oriented, inspecting for insects, small birds, lizards or frogs that might have fallen or jumped into the water from a tree limb.

Arawana cruise the shallow water, their head and eyes positioned upwards as they gaze for insects, small birds, lizards and frogs. A unique characteristic of this fish is that they will jump out of the water, pluck an unsuspecting bird or insect off an overhanging limb and return to the water with its prize. Natives have called this fish water monkey. They tend to hit smaller topwater propeller baits and chuggers, as well as surface flies.

The pirarucu (Arapaima gigas), also called Arapaima or Paiche is a relative of the arawana. It is one of the largest freshwater fishes in the world, attaining a length of 10 feet. It belongs to a group of fishes having primitive characteristics and an ancient fossil record. It can survive in water conditions that would not sustain other species as it can gulp air.

Because it is a very large fish and easily identifiable as it comes to the surface to breathe air, it make it an easy target to native fishermen who often hunt this species with spear or arrow. It is highly prized for its tasty flesh and can be found at many restaurants and open air fish markets within the Amazon.

This is probably the most difficult of all the Amazon species to target with lure or fly. It is more a matter of accidentally visualizing this fish within a lagoon as it surfaces and then cast a lure or live bait to it, than it is to blind cast for them.

The tambaqui (Colossoma macropomum) is from the Characidae family. It is a relative of the piranha, but unlike piranhas, the tambaqui has blunt dentition that appears very human-like. These fish survive primarily on a plant and fruit diet. It may grow to more than 3 feet long and weigh over 65 pounds. It is found in rivers throughout the Amazon region.

It is a migratory fish that tends to seek out lagoons during the rainy season, pursuing seeds and fruits that have fallen into the water. These fish have been caught on bucktail jigs, small jerkbaits and subsurface flies. The local guides prefer to use fruit on a down-lined baithook to catch the tambaqui, which is a very vicious fighter and a delicacy on the table.

The pacu or pirapatinga (piaractus brachypomus) is from the Characidae family and very closely resembles the tambaqui in appearance and characteristics. Similar methods are used to catch the pirapatinga as used to catch the tambaqui.

Like the tambaqui and pirapatinga, the piranha is also a member of the Characidae family. At least a dozen species of these fish have been recognized. Many sport anglers have taken piranha up to the four to six pound range and they are a worth adversary on light tackle. They take an assortment of small jigs and jerkbaits, but they are most susceptible by using a piece of cutbait on a small hook. Despite the tales of late night movies, piranhas are not the feared, man-eating creatures that they are often portrayed. Just a few of the species are dangerous to man and livestock and this primarily occurs when a large school is trapped within a drying lagoon with a dwindling or absent food source. I would not advise, however, to place your fingers anywhere near their mouths when unhooking a lure or hook. They will take a snap at you in an instant.

Piranha can be taken up to 6 pounds in Brazil and Venezuela. It is usually an incidental catch to most sport anglers fishing for other species. The first time angler to South America enjoys targeting this species just to say they've tangled with piranha.

The tiger suribim (Psuedoplatystoma fasciatum) is a species that readily assaults plugs and is taken incidentally with fairly good regularity by those anglers fishing for peacock bass or other species.