Hydrolycus armatus

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Hydrolycus armatus
Hydrolycus armatus cropped.jpg
Adult in Berlin Aquarium, Germany
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Characiformes
Family: Cynodontidae
Genus: Hydrolycus
Species:
H. armatus
Binomial name
Hydrolycus armatus
(Jardine, 1841)
Synonyms [2]
  • Hydrocyon armuatusJardine, 1841
Silver Payara from the Rio Aripuana Silver Payara.jpg
Silver Payara from the Rio Aripuanã
Hydrolycus armatus from the Rio Xingu Xingu Payara.jpg
Hydrolycus armatus from the Rio Xingu

Hydrolycus armatus is a species of dogtooth characin found in freshwater of tropical South America. [3] It is sometimes known as the black-tailed payara, payara, [1] silver payara [4] , or harm, [5] [6] [7] a name it shares with the related H. scomberoides and H. tatauaia.

Contents

This predatory fish occasionally makes its way into the aquarium trade, but it requires a very large tank. [5] [8] In its native range it is considered a major gamefish. [7] [8]

Distribution and habitat

This species of fish is found in the Amazon, Orinoco and Essequibo basins in tropical South America. [3] [9] They are found in several different freshwater habitats, but often in fast-flowing water. [7] [10] They are typically found in deeper waters during the day. [10] The species is locally common; in a major study of a Venezuelan floodplain river, 1⁄3 of the collected fish were H. armatus, and the species was particularly common in creeks and lagoons. [11] At least some populations are migratory. [10]

Description

Hydrolycus armatus are overall silvery. In adults the base of the tail and anal fin is pale yellowish, and the distal part is blackish, contrasting with a narrow white edge at the very tip (unique among Hydrolycus species). [5] [9] [12]

Hydrolycus armatus (top), Rhaphiodon vulpinus (bottom) Hydrolycus armatus 206564804.jpg
Hydrolycus armatus (top), Rhaphiodon vulpinus (bottom)
Fangs of the Hydrolycus armatus Payara Fangs.jpg
Fangs of the Hydrolycus armatus

A typically reported maximum total length of this fish is 89 cm (2 ft 11 in), [3] but records show specimens up to 95 cm (3 ft 1 in) in Venezuela [6] and more than 100 cm (3.3 ft) in Brazil. [7] It typically weighs up to 8.5 kg (18 lb 12 oz), [3] but can reach almost 18 kg (40 lb). [7] It has frequently been confused with the generally smaller H. scomberoides . [5] [9] H. armatus reaches maturity when at least 30 cm (1 ft) long. [10] Like other dogtooth characins, it has very long pointed canine teeth. In H. armatus these can surpass 10 cm (4 in) in length in large individuals. [4] These are used for spearing their prey, usually other fish. [12]

References

  1. 1 2 Salvador, G.N. (2023). "Hydrolycus armatus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species . 2023: e.T49829538A91630365. doi: 10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49829538A91630365.en . Retrieved 24 June 2024.
  2. ↑ Eschmeyer, William N.; Fricke, Ron & van der Laan, Richard (eds.). "Species in the genus Hydrolycus". Catalog of Fishes . California Academy of Sciences . Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Hydrolycus armatus". FishBase . January 2017 version.
  4. 1 2 Angling, Acute. "Ultimate Guide to Payara Species: Silver, Orange-Tail, and Machete Vampire Fish". acuteangling.com. Retrieved 2025-08-28.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Hydrolycus armatus". SeriouslyFish. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  6. 1 2 "Payara Venezuela". OPEFE. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 13 January 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ultimate Guide to Payara Species: Silver, Orange-Tail, and Machete Vampire Fish". Acute Angling. Acute Angling. August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 28, 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  8. 1 2 Scott, B.M. (March 2007). "Taming the Untamable—Giant Payara!". TFH Magazine. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
  9. 1 2 3 Toledo-Piza, M.; N.A. Menezes; G.M. Santos (1999). "Revision of the Neotropical fish genus Hydrolycus (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Cynodontidae) with the description of two new species". Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters. 10 (3): 255–280.
  10. 1 2 3 4 van der Sleen, P.; J.S. Albert, eds. (2017). Field Guide to the Fishes of the Amazon, Orinoco, and Guianas. Princeton University Press. p. 155. ISBN   978-0691170749.
  11. ↑ Layman, C.A..; K.O. Winemiller (2005). "Patterns of habitat segregation among large fishes in a Venezuelan floodplain river". Neotrop. Ichthyol. 3 (1): 111–117. doi: 10.1590/S1679-62252005000100007 .
  12. 1 2 "Subfamily Cynodontinae". OPEFE. Archived from the original on 20 August 2016. Retrieved 19 October 2017.
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