Arapaima

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/arapaima

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Arapaima gigas
2. What is the diet?Carnivore; opportunistic predator feeding on fish, birds, small mammals, and crustaceans
3. What is an Arapaima and how big can it get?An Arapaima is a giant fish that lives in the Amazon River. It can grow up to 10 feet long and weigh more than 400 pounds.
4. How does the Arapaima breathe air?It has a special swim bladder that works like a lung. The fish surfaces every 10 to 20 minutes to take a breath of air.

Obligate Air-Breathing: A physiological requirement to breathe atmospheric air, essential for survival.
Hypoxic Conditions: Environments characterized by a significant deficiency in oxygen levels.
Apex Predator: An organism at the top of its food chain with no natural predators.