Amazon Paiche

Question: What Is Paiche?

Answer: Paiche, a member of the arapaima family, is one of the largest fresh water fish in the world. It is found in lakes, rivers and streams throughout the Amazon basin.

 

Question: What Is The Texture Of Paiche Like?

Answer: Paiche has a firm texture that lands between that of halibut and Chilean sea bass.

 

Question: What Does Paiche Taste Like?

Answer: Paiche has a very mild flavor that works well with many different seasonings.

 

Question: How Do You Cook Paiche?

Answer: Paiche can be prepared in the same manner as any other firm white-fleshed fish. It can be poached, steamed, sauteed, baked or grilled.

 

Question: Is Paiche Wild Or Farm Raised?

Answer: Paiche is farmed raised. From lack of regulations wild stocks of this fish were close to depleted. Its savior has been the development of methods to farm raise this species. In addition to marketing fillets to world markets, farmers release fingerlings into areas of the Amazon basin to help grow the wild population. Farming also takes the pressure off of the wild fish as there is now a farmed supply to meet demand. This is the only instance I know if where people are encouraged to consume more of a farm raised product to help grow the wild population.

 

Question: How Long Does It Take Farmed Paiche To Grow Out?

Answer: It takes about a year for paiche to reach a weight of 9 kilograms.

 

Question: Is Farmed Paiche Sustainable?

Answer: Farmed paiche is a sustainable fish. Farmers build earthen ponds. These ponds are very low impact on the environment as no chemicals or antibiotics are used in production. Since paiche are surface breathers there is no need to aerate the water. Paiche are carnivorous. A number of farmers raise talapia, which are raised on a vegetarian diet, that paiche consume. Other farms use pellet food. Farming of paiche has the lowest impact on the environment of any aquaculture fish product.

 

Question: Is there anything Unique About Piache?

Answer: Paiche is a prehistoric fish. Many museums around the world have paiche fossils on display. When paiche are small they use gills to breath but as they mature the depend on rudimentary lungs. Mature fish must surface in order to breath. This is a very good trait as there are many areas in the Amazon basin where very muddy waters lack a sufficient oxygen supply for gilled fish to breath. Also, it makes it easier for them to hunt fish in areas of low oxygenated waster as fish that depend on gills for breathing become slow and are easy prey. Piache have also been know to jump out of the water onto river banks to feed on birds and other small animals.

 

Question: Does Paiche Go By Any Other Names?

Answer: Yes, paiche is also know as pirarucu and paima.

 

Question: What Is The Latin Name For Paiche?

Answer: The Latin name for paiche is Arapaima gigas.