# Payara

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{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{for|the related species also known as payara|Hydrolycus armatus}}
{{Speciesbox 
| image = Hydrolycus scomberoides by OpenCage.jpg
| image_caption = at [Toba Aquarium](/source/Toba_Aquarium), Japan
| status = LC
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref>{{cite iucn |author=Salvador, G.N. |year=2023 |title=''Hydrolycus scomberoides'' |article-number=e.T49830234A91630388 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2023-1.RLTS.T49830234A91630388.en |access-date=24 June 2024}}</ref>
| taxon = Hydrolycus scomberoides
| authority = ([Cuvier](/source/Georges_Cuvier), 1819)<ref>{{ITIS |id=639859 |taxon=Hydrolycus scomberoides |accessdate=19 October 2017}}</ref>
| synonyms = {{Specieslist
| Hydrocyon scomberoides | Cuvier, 1819
| Cynodon pectoralis | [Günther](/source/Albert_G%C3%BCnther), 1866
}}
| synonyms_ref = <ref name="Cof genus">{{Cof genus|genus=Hydrolycus|access-date=17 July 2025}}</ref>
}}

The '''payara''' ('''''Hydrolycus scomberoides''''') is a [species](/source/species) of [dogtooth tetra](/source/Cynodontidae). This predatory fish is found in the [Amazon Basin](/source/Amazon_Basin) in tropical South America.<ref name=FishBase>{{FishBase|genus=Hydrolycus|species=scomberoides|year=2005|month=October}}</ref><ref name=seriuslyfish>{{cite web|website=SeriouslyFish|url=http://www.seriouslyfish.com/species/hydrolycus-scomberoides/ |title=''Hydrolycus scomberoides''|access-date=31 October 2015}}</ref> It was the first of four species to be described in the [genus](/source/genus) ''[Hydrolycus](/source/Hydrolycus)''.<ref name=Toledo1999>{{cite journal |author1=Toledo-Piza, M. |author2=N.A. Menezes |author3=G.M. Santos | year=1999 | title=Revision of the Neotropical fish genus ''Hydrolycus'' (Ostariophysi: Characiformes: Cynodontidae) with the description of two new species | journal=Ichthyol. Explor. Freshwaters | volume=10 | issue=3 | pages=255–280 }}</ref>

==Description==
The most noticeable feature of ''H. scomberoides'' is the two long fangs protruding from its lower jaw. These are used to impale its prey, mostly smaller fish.<ref name=seriuslyfish/> It typically reaches a [standard length](/source/standard_length) of about {{cvt|30|cm|ft|1}},<ref name=seriuslyfish/><ref name=Toledo1999/><ref>{{cite web | title=Payara—''Hydrolycus scomberoides'' | url=http://www.acuteangling.com/amazon-gamefish/fishing-payara/species/hydrolycus-scomberoides.html | publisher=Acute Angling | access-date=19 October 2017 }}</ref> but can reach up to {{cvt|51|cm|ftin}}.<ref>{{cite journal |author1=Brambilla |author2=Garcia-Ayala |author3=Travassos |author4=Carvalho |author5=David | year=2015 | title=Length-weight relationships of the main commercial fish species of Tucuruí reservoir (Tocantins/Araguaia basin, Brazil) | journal=Boletim do Instituto de Pesca | volume=41 | issue=3 | pages=665–670 }}</ref> Reports exist of far larger individuals, up to {{cvt|117|cm|ftin}} in total length<ref name=FishBase/> and {{cvt|17.8|kg|lboz}} in weight, based on records by [IGFA](/source/IGFA),<ref>{{cite web|title=Payara |website=The International Game Fish Association |url=https://igfa.org/member-services/world-record/common-name/Payara |access-date=24 June 2024}}</ref> but this likely involves confusion with the related ''[H. armatus](/source/Hydrolycus_armatus)''.<ref name=seriuslyfish/><ref name=Toledo1999/>

''H. scomberoides'' is overall silvery with a dark spot behind the [opercle](/source/opercle) and another at the lower base of the [pectoral fin](/source/pectoral_fin). In adults, the tail is dusky on the basal half, turning paler (more transparent) towards the tip.<ref name=Toledo1999/><ref>{{cite web | title=Subfamily Cynodontinae | url=https://opefe.com/hydrolycus.html | publisher=OPEFE | access-date=19 October 2017 | archive-date=20 August 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820221653/http://opefe.com/hydrolycus.html }}</ref>

==In the aquarium== 
The payara, which is also sold as the sabertooth barracuda, vampire fish, vampire tetra, or sabertusk barracuda, is a popular species for large, aggressive aquaria. It requires a large aquarium and can only be mixed with relatively large species, as smaller fish will be seen as potential prey.<ref name=seriuslyfish/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q737277}}

Category:Hydrolycus
Category:Game fish
Category:Fish of the Amazon basin
Category:Tetras of Brazil
Category:Freshwater fish of Colombia
Category:Fish described in 1819
Category:Taxa named by Georges Cuvier

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Payara](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payara) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Payara?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.