the river Pilcomayo upstream from  puente Diabalo
Surubí, predatory fish in the river Pilcomayo that feeds mainly on Sábalo
nightview near Villa Montes on the Pilcomayo river at the foot of the Andes
tradicional Weenayek fishermen
fieldwork in theTampinta river (a tribute to the Pilcomayo)
Los Amigos del Pilcomayo
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Hoplias malabaricus  (Bloch, 1794)
In co-operation with department of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology.
Fishes of the Pilcomayo
Common name: Tararira (AR) Dentudo (BO/AR)
link to fishbase on Hoplias malabaricus
Class:                  Actinopterygii (ray-finned fishes)   
Order:                 Characiformes  (characins)
Family:                Erythrinidae
Species
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Source: translated from 100 Peces argentinos; Hernán Laita y Gustavo Aparicio; Editorial
Albatros; 2005; ISBN 950-24-1012-2

Tirarira
Hoplias Malabarcus

The calm bodies of water like lagoons, streams and vegetated river banks are the habitat
of this incredible predator.
Owner of a highly mimetic coloration, the tararira remains awaiting watching for  prey that
whets her appetite, like fish, amphibians and also small mammals and birds. Once setting
to shot, the attack of the tararira is formidable: their rounded line and their strong
musculature allow it to express its attack, with their immense populated mouth of sharp
abnormally distributed teeth, like the way of crocodiles, it grants the tairira a potent bite.
Where it is abundant it is not strange that several individuals attack the same prey,
leading to disputes among them, what explains that frequently they are marked with
partially mutilated lines.
They tolerate well variations of temperature and oxygenation of water that take place in
the areas with scarce volumes of water that they usually occupy. In winter they enter in
lethargy, although it is not strange that at clear days they come closer to the surface to
sunbathe. Their activity descends so much in the coldest periods that it becomes possible
to take them with the hand. They build a nest among the ingrained vegetation. The male
as well as the female take care of the eggs and the breeding.
Source: translated from: Peces de los Ríos Bermejo, Juramento y Cuencas Endorreicas
de la Provincia Salta
; Gladys Monasterio de Gonzo; Museo de Ciencias Naturales y
Consejo de Investigación Universidad Nacional de Salta; Octubre 2003.

Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch,1794)

Common name: Dentudo, tararira.
Identification: Lengthened body, sub-cylindrical. Head also lengthened, depressed, with
the inferior lightly excellent jaw. Very big mouth provided with big and small caniniforme
teeth, with a great canine on the sínfisis.
Eyes situated in lateral superior position. Separate nostrils, the previous one provided
with a dermal notorious tube. Origin of the dorsal fin located toward half of the body,
halfway between the end previous of the muzzle and the base of the caudal fin; the
perpendicular one traced through the origin reaches the later end of the pectoral
extended fins. Anal fin is short. Presents a rounded caudal fin.
Colour: Grizzly chestnut in the dorsal part, clearer tornándose toward the ventral region.
The flanks also present four to six dark stains, for up and under the lateral line, in form of
an open V, with the vertex directed toward the head. These stains prolong in the back and
they continue toward the other flank. From the eye they leave three radial brown bars
toward the operculare bones. All the fins exhibit dark very evident specks. All the flakes
also have small specks of brown clear colour. The stomach shows a white yellowish
colour, with small specks of brown clear colour.
Dimensions: Up to 630 mm.
Ecology: In general it inhabits the calm and not very deep waters of rivers, streams and it
has also been observed and captured in dammed semi-permanent water bodies (as for
example in The Flagstones).
Regime of feeding: carnivore, fundamentally piscivorous, although (juveniles) also
tadpoles, insects and aquatic acari.
Hoplias malabaricus (Bloch,1794)

Nombres comunes: Dentudo, tararira.
Identificación: Cuerpo alargado, subcilíndrico. Cabeza también alargada,
deprimida, con la quijada inferior ligeramente sobresaliente. Boca muy grande
provista de dientes caniniformes grandes y pequeños, con un gran canino sobre la
sínfisis*.
Ojos en posición lateral, superior. Narinas separadas, la anterior provista de un
notorio tubo dérmico. Origen de la aleta dorsal ubicada hacia la mitad del cuerpo,
equidistante entre el extremo anterior del hocico y la base de la aleta caudal; la
perpendicular trazada a través del origen alcanza el extremo posterior de las aletas
pectorales extendidas. Aleta anal corta. Aleta caudal redondeada.
Color: Castaño grisáceo en la parte dorsal, tornándose más claro hacia la región
ventral. Los flancos además presentan cuatro a seis manchas oscuras, por arriba y
debajo de la línea lateral, en forma de una letra V abierta, con el vértice dirigido
hacia la cabeza. Estas manchas se prolongan en el dorso y continúan hacia el otro
flanco. Desde el ojo parten tres barras radiales pardas hacia los huesos
operculares. Todas las aletas exhiben motas oscuras muy evidentes. Todas las
escamas también tienen pequeñas motas de color pardo claro. El vientre muestra un
color blanco amarillento, con pequeñas motas de color castaño claro.
Dimensiones: Hasta 630 mm.
Distribución geográfica: Cuenca del río Bermejo, río Mojotoro y Arroyo Gallinato
(departamento de La Caldera). Pozo de las Conchas (departamento San Martín, IML
429), Luna Muerta, Hickmann (departamento San Martín, IML 35), Quebrada de
Salazzuti (departamento de Orán, IML 132). Cuenca endorreica del río Salí, ríos Tala
y Clavizán (Butí y Miquelarena, 1995); Cuenca del río juramento, río Juramento,
Paraje Alto Alegre (departamento de Anta), Embalse El Tunal, río Juramento
(departamento de Metán). Cuenca endorreica del río Dorado-del Valle, río Popayán,
Parque Nacional El Rey, Las Lajitas (departa¬mento de Anta).
Tipo ecológico: Por lo general frecuenta aguas tranquilas y poco profundas de los
ríos, arroyos e inclusive se la observó y capturó en embalsados semipermanentes
(como por ejemplo en Las Lajitas). Régimen de alimentación carnívoro,
fundamentalmente ictiófagos, aunque también en ejemplares de tallas menores y
juveniles se han encontrado renacuajos, insectos y ácaros acuáticos.