Tambaqui

Black Pacu ( Colossoma macropomum )

The Black Pacu or Mühlsteinsalmler, Portuguese Tambaqui ( Colossoma macropomum ) is, with a maximum length of 1.08 meters and a maximum weight of 30 kilograms, the largest tetras.

Dissemination

He lives in the basins of the Amazon and Orinoco. Black Pacu have their natural range of Panama on Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru to southern Brazil.

Due to its great adaptability exposed specimens were in some waters of Hawaii, Florida and Texas form small local populations.

Single units were also found in Poland, Croatia, Scandinavia and France.

Way of life

Black Pacus prefer a water temperature of about 20 ° C ( considered as ideal 26-28 ° C) and move partly even below 5 meters water depth. They endure a low oxygen content, low mineral content water with lots of suspended solids and are also very disease resistant. In the flooded forests of the Amazon spawn Black Pacu in the period from September to February and overcome their spawning grounds often very long distances, sometimes up to 1,000 km. Young fish are schooling fish and feed on carnivorous zooplankton, insects and snails.

Nutrition

The adult fish live alone, are herbivores and swim during the five -month rainy season in the flooded forests to feed on submerged plants, hard-shelled seeds and fruits. Preferred food is the seeds of the Amazonian rubber trees (Hevea spp. ), Which grow rapidly during intense sunshine. The sound of the impacting on the water surface rubber tree seeds attracts many Black Pacu, which eat into large fat reserves during this period. The hard-shelled seeds are swallowed whole swallowed by the big fish and excreted after passage through the intestinal tract as a viable seeds. Black Pacus thus play a major role in the ecological system of the tropical floodplain forests of the Amazon. Black Pacu are typical "fruit eaters". Your teeth, similar to the human dentition in appearance is so strong that they can crack nuts.

Alleged threat

It should already have been fatal attacks on humans by black Pacus in which men 's testicles were bitten. Therefore, it is ( German: Testicular biter ) and "Ball Cutter" called. According to CBC News, this is attributed to a non- verfizierte message about such a case of a man in Papua New Guinea. Scientists do not hold the fish for dangerous:

"They fear humans and will try to escape. "

" They are afraid of humans and will try to escape. "

Use

The Black Pacu is grown in South America in ponds as economically important food fish. In Manaus Black Pacus offered on the local markets often than typical fish dishes such as the " Peixada " (fish soup) or " tambaqui na brasa " (grilled Mühlsteinsalmler ). Overfishing of Amazonia has already led to the natural population of the Black Pacu has declined and you try this species, at least during their spawning period from excessive fishing and poaching to protect. In Brazil and Colombia Black Pacu are gaining increasing popularity in commercial fishing ponds because of their easy catchability and large force.

In Europe, you can see the impressive fish occasionally in public aquaria. With good posture Black Pacu can be up to 20 years old here. Black Pacu are not aggressive, but, because of their strong mandible with inappropriate use, such as to bring about the careless release of the fish hook in serious injury. In some aquariums is reported that large specimens have damaged because of their power, the aquarium glass.