Arapaima agassizii facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Arapaima agassizii |
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Arapaima agassizii is a type of big freshwater fish. It lives only in Brazil. This fish is part of a group called arapaimas. These are some of the largest freshwater fish in the world! They can even breathe air.
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About Arapaima agassizii
This fish is quite mysterious. Scientists only know about it from one special fish specimen. This specimen was collected a long time ago, between 1817 and 1820. It was found somewhere in the lowlands of the Brazilian Amazon.
In 1847, a scientist named Achille Valenciennes described the fish. He used notes and drawings made by Johann Baptist von Spix and Louis Agassiz in 1829. These notes were about the original fish specimen.
What Happened to the Original Fish?
The skeleton of the original fish specimen was kept at the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology. Sadly, it was destroyed during World War II.
Even though the original was lost, scientists still learned more about A. agassizii. In 2013, a new study looked at many Arapaima fish from the wild. This study used Valenciennes' old description. It found enough evidence to show that A. agassizii is a unique species. It is different from all other types of arapaima fish.
Why is it "Data Deficient"?
Because scientists don't know much about where the original fish came from, or if this species still lives in the wild today, it is listed as "data deficient." This means there isn't enough information to know if it's endangered or safe. The IUCN Red List uses this category when there isn't enough data to decide a species' risk level.
See also
In Spanish: Arapaima agassizii para niños
