Pirarucu or Arapaima (Arapaima gigas) is found primarily in the northern Amazon Basin of tropical South America. This large fish can be up to eight feet long and weigh up to 200 pounds.

The Osteoglossidae family is a small group of only five (Recently increased to 10) species of fish that are found in rivers and streams in the Southern Hemisphere. These fish typically have large scales and big eyes. The genera Arapaima(1), Heterotis(1), Osteoglossum (2), and Scleropages(6) belong here.

The order Osteoglossiformes contains several families of freshwater fish. Included here are the mooneyes, knifefish, and the arawanas. There are representatives in Africa, North and South America, and South east Asia.

Bony fish, Class Teleostomi, are a class of chordates that include the majority of fish-like animals found on earth. They are characterized by a bony jaw and a bony skeleton. They are found in both fresh and marine waters.

Backboned Animals (Phylum Chordata) are the most advanced group of animals on earth. These animals are characterized by having a spinal cord or backbone. Most members have a clearly defined brain that controls the organism through a spinal cord. Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals are in this phylum.

Currently, some taxonomists believe that the fish should be divided into two groups (sharks and regular fishes) and that there are some other primitive groups in the phylum such as hagfish or lampreys.

Animal Kingdom contains numerous organisms that feed on other animals or plants. Included in the animal kingdom are the lower marine invertebrates such as sponges and corals, the jointed legged animals such as insects and spiders, and the backboned animals such as fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

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