Source: Cool Earth
A fish native to the Amazon river is under threat of extinction after being impacted by high levels of fishing in the rainforest.
The arapaima - also known as the pirarucu or paiche - is the biggest freshwater fish in the world and can grow to lengths of up to nine metres and weigh more than 200 kilograms.However, it is its large size and length that lead it to being overfished as it is an easy target for those who live in rainforest communities who hunt for their food in the river using spears.
As well as being overfished, lack of knowledge about the creature could have seen different types of the species die out without scientists realising.
The Brazilian government put restrictions in place to try and limit the level of arapaima caught but according to a BBC report, many fisherman in the country do not follow the rules.
Writing in the Journal of Applied Ichthyology, Dr Leandro Castello said that more research needs to be carried out on the fish.