Payara Vampire Fish

IMG_2099, originally uploaded by mpeterson70.

The payara, Hydrolycus scomberoides, (also known as "Dog Tooth Characin" per the Shedd Aquarium, Chicago, IL) is a little known species of gamefish that lives in the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The payara's most noticeable features are the two long fangs protruding from its lower jaw. These fangs can be 4 to 6 inches long, and have earned it the nickname "vampire fish".

Payaras eat most fish smaller than them, but the bulk of their diet is comprised of piranhas, which they impale with their sharp teeth. Payaras share the same habitat with peacock bass. They are also known as cachorras in Venezuela. Payara is restricted to the Amazon River and its tributaries above the mouth of the Rio Tapajós. They can reach at least 650 mm SL.