Pair of arapaima with around 400 chicks goes viral on social media A video showing a couple of arapaima (Arapaima gigas) accompanied by hundreds of chicks went viral on social media last week. The images, recorded by drone in a flooded area of ??the Teles Pires River, in Itaúba (MT), draw attention to the behavior of the fish and the number of fry. According to researchers, however, the incident also reveals another phenomenon: the advance of an invasive species in an area where it did not occur naturally. The record was made by fisherman and influencer Tiger Bilzerian, who usually documents fauna during expeditions along Brazilian rivers (see the video above). ? Follow Terra da Gente on Instagram According to him, the fish probably weighed more than 100 kilos and were accompanied by approximately 400 fry. The quantity reinforces the high potential for expansion of the species in the region and raises awareness about the impacts that arapaima can cause on native fauna and the balance of the ecosystem. Arapaima couple with around 400 chicks goes viral on social media, but experts warn of biological invasion in MT Tiger Bilzerian The influencer commented on how he managed to produce the images. "I always record nature in details that are imperceptible. I have made several drone recordings and captures of large fish," he says. However, although the arapaima is a native Brazilian fish, originally from the Amazon, it is considered an invasive exotic species in this stretch of the Teles Pires River, explains Jean Vitule, researcher at the Ecology and Conservation Laboratory at the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR) and specialist in biological invasions. According to him, the natural distribution of the species has always been limited by geographic barriers, such as large rapids and waterfalls, which prevented its spread to certain regions of the Amazon Basin. "Historically, it inhabited calm waters and floodplains of the low Amazon and did not exceed the large rapids and waterfalls of the lower and middle Tapajós and Teles Pires. As it was introduced outside this historical distribution area, it is classified as an exotic invader in the upper Teles Pires." Thus, although the Teles Pires River is part of the Amazon Basin, the region close to the municipality of Itaúba is not part of the species' natural distribution area. See more news from Terra da Gente, on g1: SCIENCE: High density of jaguars in the Amazon could hide a worrying drop in the number of females RARE RECORD: Virginia catches shark hunting stingray during tour; expert explains rare scene PROHIBITED DELICIA: Study identifies 1,500 sea cucumbers in illegal cargo seized at SP airport How did arapaima arrive in the region? Researchers are still investigating how the species expanded, but some hypotheses have already been considered. Among them are accidental escapes from fish farms, introductions for sport fishing, illegal disposal of specimens used in aquariums and, mainly, the changes caused by the reservoirs of hydroelectric plants. According to the specialist in biological invasions, the formation of these reservoirs eliminated natural barriers and transformed stretches previously marked by rapids into slow-moving water environments, a favorable condition for the establishment and reproduction of arapaima. Highly efficient predator Can exceed two meters in length and weigh more than 100 kilos, the arapaima has characteristics that increase its invasive potential. One of them is precisely the parental care observed in the video. According to Ana Cláudia Torres Gonçalves, coordinator of the Fisheries Management Program at the Mamirauá Institute, caring for the fry lasts around three months. "The one who takes care of the offspring is the male. The young swim above the father's head, learning to breathe and feed. Meanwhile, the female remains close, warding off possible predators." She explains that the adults remain in shallow waters precisely to teach the young to breathe and look for food in the vegetation on the banks of the lakes. For the researcher, this reproductive strategy helps explain the success of the species when invading new environments. "Efficient parental care guarantees high survival of offspring compared to native species", he adds. As a top predator in the food chain, the arapaima can consume large quantities of native fish, alter food chains, compete for resources and reduce local biodiversity. Piraruco is one of the largest freshwater fish Cliff / Animalia Invasive species consume 70% more An analysis led by researchers from UFPR and published in the journal Biological Reviews showed that invasive species have, on average, maximum resource consumption rates 70% higher than native species. This means that the presence of these species can significantly harm the local fauna. In addition to competing for resources, they consume more food, which can cause food shortages for native species and compromise the ecological balance. According to the study, this pattern is even more evident in freshwater organisms and helps to explain why invasive species often cause significant impacts on biodiversity. Fishing and population control As a consequence of the expansion of the species in areas where it is not native, the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources (Ibama) published Normative Instruction No. 07/2026, which recognizes the arapaima as an invasive species outside its original area of ??occurrence. The standard authorizes, in these regions, fishing, capture and slaughter of the species without size or quota limits as a population control measure. According to Jean Vitule, fishing helps to reduce the number of individuals, but, alone, it is difficult to eliminate an already established population. He advocates that control be accompanied by measures such as inspection of fish farms to prevent new escapes, mon