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This fish is a somewhat elongated fish that has a large mouth and eyes. Its body is silver in color. The dorsal fin is located far back on the body and stands tall. Its tail is forked and has a large black spot at its base. The other fins are transparent. Sometimes a black horizontal line, that runs from the eye to the tail spot, develops. This fish can reach sizes of 10" and prefers the middle and top regions of the tank.
It’s natural habitat can be found in South America; specifically in the
Amazon Basin and the Paraguay River watershed.
A tank size of 55 gallons (209 L) is recommended as a minimal size. A
much larger tank is the preferred. The tank should be spacious with
plenty of open swimming areas. Provide a cover of floating plants to dim
the lighting. Use a tight-fitting cover as this fish is known to jump. The
tank should be heavily planted and have water parameters with ranges of
pH 5.8-7.5 (6.9), 4-15 dH (10), and water temperatures of 79-86°F (26-30°C) are recommended.
This fish will eat smaller fish. It is also a schooling fish that should be
either keep singly or in groups of 6 or more. If kept in groups of 2-5 fish,
fighting will occur. Tankmates that are recommended for this fish are
Pimelodids, large Loricarids, Pacus, Piranhas, Silver Dollars, and
Arawana.
They thrive mainly on foods such as fish; earthworms, aquatic insects,
Tubifex; pellets; chopped meat.
Females are plumper than males when trying to distinguish sexes. There
is no known successful breeding in captivity.
Little is known about these fish, even though they are frequently sold in
aquarium stores. This species is often referred to as a “Freshwater
Barracuda” because of its body form, not because of any relationship to
the true marine Barracuda. This fish is known as an important food fish
in South America.