Tambaqui
Colossoma macropomum
Where at Shedd?
Amazon Rising
| Diet | Zooplankton, insects, snails and decaying plants; During floods, adults eat primarily fruits and grains |
|---|---|
| Size | Length: Up to 3.5 feet (108 cm); average of 2.3 feet (70 cm) |
| Type | Fishes |
| Range | Northern South America. Introduced around the world |
| Habitat | Amazon and Orinoco River basins |
About the Tambaqui
Tambaqui are large fish native to the waters of the Amazon. Tambaqui are a kind of pacu, an omnivorous freshwater fish. Pacu are related to piranhas, but the two vary by both their diet and the style of their teeth—piranhas possess razor-sharp teeth while pacu teeth are flat and square.
Did you know?
- Not unlike our own teeth, a tambaqui’s mouth is adapted for different kinds of food. They have molar-like teeth for crushing nuts and gillrakers to catch very small animals called zooplankton.
- Look at the color of the tambaqui. Can you see it is darker on the top and lighter on the bottom? This is called countershading and helps the fish evade predators.
Tambaqui play an important role in spreading seeds across their habitat after they've digested them, similar to how birds spread seeds.