The Erythrinidae are a family of fishes found in rivers and other freshwater habitats from Costa Rica south as far as Argentina. They are common and are caught with hooks by fishermen, partially because of their voracious behaviour. They are sometimes called trahiras (also spelled trairas) or tarariras.
The Erythrinidae include cylindrical fish with blunt heads, and prey on other fish. They can reach lengths up to 90 cm (35 in). Some species can breathe air, enabling them to survive in water low in oxygen,[1] and even to move over land between ponds.
Genera
The 16 species are contained in extant (living) genera,[2] plus another extinct species in a separate genus:[3]
^Blanco, D.R.; Lui, R.L.; Vicari, M.R.; Bertollo, L.A.C.; Moreira-Filho, O. (2011). "Comparative Cytogenetics of Giant Trahiras Hoplias aimara and H. intermedius (Characiformes, Erythrinidae): Chromosomal Characteristics of Minor and Major Ribosomal DNA and Cross-Species Repetitive Centromeric Sequences Mapping Differ among Morphologically Identical Karyotypes". Cytogenetic and Genome Research. 132 (1–2): 71–78. doi:10.1159/000320923. PMID20924165. S2CID207643872.
