




| Los Amigos del Pilcomayo |

| 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. |
