Hydrolycus armatus is featutred in the wild on our Wolf Fish DVD.

To see the Hydrolycus armatus bones click here.

Hydrolycus armatus commonly called Payaras or the freshwater vampire fish in the aquarium hobby is one of the biggest tetras on earth. They live on the main canals of large deep rivers such as the Orinoco and Caroni river basins. They can grow past 3 feet in length and their lower fangs more than two inches long. Behind the base of all its teeth or fangs lay replacement ones, if a tooth is lost, it is quickly replaced with a new one.

Although Hydrolycus armatus are very vicious looking, they are no threat to humans in the wild, they are actually fished and eaten, fried, grilled, or in a stew with great satisfaction by the locals.

Hydrolycus armatus form large schools of many thousands of individuals in the breeding season as they migrate upriver to reproduce. Once the breeding season is over, they swim down river to spend the rest of the year.

ABOVE: A 37 1/2 inch Payara.

ABOVE: Detail of the upper jaw teeth.

BELOW: Video of a Hydrolycus armatus in an aqurium.