Escudo de la República de Colombia Escudo de la República de Colombia
Panel de Accesibilidad

✎ Andrés Rodriguez

✎ Andrés Rodriguez

✎ Diego Aguilera

Vampire Tetra
Hydrolycus scomberoidesAmazon region

  • Generalities
  • Morpho-functionality
  • Lifecycle
  • Distribution

RECORRIDO VIRTUAL POR LA BIODIVERSIDAD DE COLOMBIA
Museo de Historia Natural
Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Vampire Tetra
Hydrolycus scomberoides

Known as payara. The mouth is arranged obliquely, its teeth are composed of long and sharp conical teeth, two fangs located in the lower jaw stand out. They use them to catch the fish they feed on, stringing and holding them. The pectoral fins are very large, long and pointed which are used to jump over the water. They can measure up to 120 cm in length and weigh approximately 18 kg. They feed on other fish.

Conservation status

Extinct

Extinct in the Wild

Critically Endangered

Endangered

Vulnerable

Near Threatened

Least Concern

Not Evaluated

Data Deficient

Morpho-functionality

Teeth

Its huge lower teeth help it capture and pierce its prey.

Tail

Its tail works like a powerful paddle when swimming quickly.

Tact

Like many other fish, it has a lateral line, which is an organ that helps it perceive the movement and vibrations of the water around it.

Lifecycle

Like many other fish, H. scomberoides reproduces during the flood period of rivers (between July and September), where the females release about 2,000 to 3,500 eggs. Egg laying is made close to the riverbanks. Together with other species of fish, it performs local and medium migrations of between 100 to 500 km distance.

Vampire Tetra

Distribution

It is a freshwater fish that inhabits the area of the bed and the water column of rivers, lakes and flooded forests of the Amazon basin and is distributed in Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. Adults and juveniles are piscivorous while larvae feed on plankton. It tolerates temperatures between 24 and 28 ° C.

Distribution area