Also known as:
Payara
Pirandira
Dracula Fish
Common Group Name:
Dogtooth Characins
Family Name:
Cynodontidae
Genus Name:
Hydrolycus
Species Name:
Hydrolycus armatus
Dispatch Method:
Beware of the sharp teeth of vampire fish when handling them. The eating qualities of these fish can be greatly improved if they are killed humanely by iki jime or a firm knock to the head before placing them in an ice slurry after bleeding.
Fish Description:
- Vampire Fish are laterally compressed, bright silver in colour with an olive back and an orange and black tail.
- This species has two very distinctive over-sized canine teeth in the bottom jaw that are concealed inside receiving grooves in the upper jaw when the mouth is closed.
Fish Distribution:
- The Vampire Fish is endemic to the Amazon and Orinoco River Basins as well as rivers in Guyana in South America.
Fish Size Common Length:
Common between 40 and 70 cm, maximum size around 110 cm and 18 kg.
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For assistance with identifying fishes, see fishesofaustralia.net.au. For information on size and bag limits, check out the website of your State Fisheries Department.
We thank fishesofaustralia.net.au and Australia's various Fisheries Departments for some of the thumbnail images used to assist with fish identification on this website and its applications, as licensed for use under Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia. Thanks also to Michigan State University and Georgia Aquarium for generous donation of xrays of some US fish species.
