''Hoplias malabaricus'', also known as the wolf fish, tiger fish, guabine or trahira, is a predatory Central and South American freshwater ray-finned fish of the characiform family

Erythrinidae The Erythrinidae are a family of fishes found in rivers and other freshwater habitats from Costa Rica south as far as Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the s ...

Description

The maximum known length for this species is about and the maximum known weight is about . Like other members of the genus ''

Hoplias ''Hoplias'' is a genus of fish in the family Erythrinidae found in Central and South America. Species There are currently 13 recognized species in this genus: * '' Hoplias aimara'' (Valenciennes, 1847) * '' Hoplias australis'' Oyakawa & Mat ...

'' this species has a cylindrical body shape with a large mouth equipped with prominent teeth. The dog-like teeth have given it some of its common names. Coloration is highly variable but is usually grey-brown with darker vertical stripes or a single horizontal stripe.

Distribution

Southern

Central America Central America ( es, América Central or ) is a subregion of the Americas. Its boundaries are defined as bordering the United States to the north, Colombia to the south, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and the Pacific Ocean to the west. ...

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...

. Found in most river systems and in the following countries; Argentina,

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Costa Rica Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...

Ecuador Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...

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Guyana Guyana ( or ), officially the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, is a country on the northern mainland of South America. Guyana is an indigenous word which means "Land of Many Waters". The capital city is Georgetown. Guyana is bordered by the ...

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to th ...

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Suriname Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...

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Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

and

Venezuela Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...

Biology

Occurs in a wide range of freshwater habitats from clear, fast flowing, upland streams, to the slow turbid lowland waters, canals, irrigation and drainage ditches, and ponds and other still waters. Spends the daylight hours resting in vegetation and is most active during the night. Adults are ambush predators of fish (such as guppies), crustaceans (such as shrimp and crayfish) and mussels; while juveniles prey consists of crustacean and other invertebrate prey. This species spawns in pits located in shallow water and the males guard the nests even after the eggs have hatched.

Invasive species

''Hoplias malabaricus'' are popular in the aquarium trade but are prohibited from being kept in California as a potentially invasive species. ''H. malabaricus'' was formerly established in Hillsborough County, Florida from either deliberate releases or fish farm escapes. Since January 1977 no specimens have been collected or reported; presumably the species was extirpated as result of extremely cold temperatures during that month.

Gallery

File:Hoplias malabaricus.jpg File:Hoplias malabaricus1.jpg File:Hoplias malabaricus 172871750.jpeg

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2719610 Fish of South America Erythrinidae Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch Fish described in 1794