Pirarucu Arapaima Fish Scale: 100% Natural Fish Scales
ARAPAIMA-1
Regular price $6.00/
Pirarucu Arapaima Fish Scale: 100% Natural Fish Scales, Recycled / Pick Qty / South American Craft Supplies, Oddities, Natural, Juju
* PLEASE read the full description, NO animals are harmed to obtain these scales. They are recycled from the food industry and the fish is from a sustainable organization where a number of fishes are harvested every so often. If you're familiar with Pirarucu, you know they're either raised for the meat or are living in specific areas that are protected now. There is a group of local elders who manage the stock and it is not open to the market, that is where our scales come from and that is why we cannot get them all the time. Please read below. Thank you!
Growing up in the Amazon these scales were just another thing to play with. They're recycled from the fish we eat on a daily basis, it's quite the common dish on Sundays. Pirarucu is the common name for one of the biggest fishes we have in the Amazon rainforest, most of the world knows it by Arapaima. The Arapaima Fish Scales are commonly used by the natives in their adornments, home decor, jewelry, and all sorts of crafts and some even use it as a nail file. These fish scales are highly mineralized, very hard outer layer with a corrugated surface under which lie several layers of collagen fibers. In a structure similar to 'plywood', the fibers in each successive layer are oriented at right angles to that in the previous layer for maximum toughness. The hard corrugated surface of the outer layer, the soft but tough internal orthogonal collagen layers, and the hydration of the scales all contribute to their ability to flex and deform while remaining strong—a solution that allows the fish to remain mobile while heavily armored.
These are 100% natural Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales RECYCLED from the food industry and we obtain our fish scales from a managed area in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. No animals are harmed solely for their scales, no way!
All scales are previously washed and dried and don't have a fishy smell. Of course, I have been around them for just about all my life, so it is possible that some people find a slight fishy smell on them. Once the Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales are washed and dried, they'll curve slightly as shown in the pictures. If you need to FLAT THEM out, soak them in water and add a lightweight over a towel and they will turn flat for your needs. You can also use Pirarucu fish scales to polish your fingernails, that's how the ladies in the jungle have done for centuries.
❁ DETAILS:
Item: natural arapaima fish scales
Quantity: you pick the qty in the menu - please note that as pictured, these scales will vary in size, shape, and color. Some are naturally lighter than others, that's just the way they are.
Size: they will vary in size, shape, and overall form, ranging from 2-3 inches wide x 2-3.5 inches tall
Drilling Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales: the correct way to drill these fish scales is using a Dremel, don't use a hole punch as it will crack the scale. You can also cut or trim them with a pair of scissors.
NOTE: soak the scales in water and lay over a towel, add a lightweight over it and they will slowly flatten out.
❁ MORE ABOUT PIRARUCU FISH:
Pirarucu or Paiche are the popular names for "Arapaima gigas", they are the largest freshwater fish of South America, and among the largest freshwater fish in the world. Arapaima can reach lengths of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in), in some exceptional cases even more than 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and over 100 kg (220 lb). As one of the most sought-after food fish species in South America, it is often captured primarily by handheld nets for export, spearfishing for local consumption, and consequently, large arapaima of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) are seldom found in the wild today. The fish is now farmed in a very sustainable way, in the wild by specific communities throughout the Amazon. Our scales come from these areas.
The Arapaima is torpedo-shaped with large blackish-green scales and red markings. It is streamlined and sleek, with its dorsal and anal fin set back near its tail. Its local name, Paiche, derives from the indigenous words for "red" and "fish". Pirarucu / Arapaima is often shown on the TV as a monster river in the "River Monsters" show. We find them to be easy-going fish but will definitely hurt you with their massive bonehead when trying to catch them.
The arapaima has a fundamental dependence on surface air to breathe. In addition to gills, it has a modified and enlarged swim bladder, composed of lung-like tissue, which enables it to extract oxygen from the air. This is an adaptation to the often-hypoxic conditions of the Amazon floodplains but requires the arapaima to surface for air every 5 to 15 min. This tendency to stay at the surface makes it more vulnerable to attacks from spearfishermen.
Picture credit: Men holding Arapaima, credit to Animal Planet, River Monster show, image by Jeremy Wade with a 150-pound arapaima. Image Credit: DCL
* PLEASE read the full description, NO animals are harmed to obtain these scales. They are recycled from the food industry and the fish is from a sustainable organization where a number of fishes are harvested every so often. If you're familiar with Pirarucu, you know they're either raised for the meat or are living in specific areas that are protected now. There is a group of local elders who manage the stock and it is not open to the market, that is where our scales come from and that is why we cannot get them all the time. Please read below. Thank you!
Growing up in the Amazon these scales were just another thing to play with. They're recycled from the fish we eat on a daily basis, it's quite the common dish on Sundays. Pirarucu is the common name for one of the biggest fishes we have in the Amazon rainforest, most of the world knows it by Arapaima. The Arapaima Fish Scales are commonly used by the natives in their adornments, home decor, jewelry, and all sorts of crafts and some even use it as a nail file. These fish scales are highly mineralized, very hard outer layer with a corrugated surface under which lie several layers of collagen fibers. In a structure similar to 'plywood', the fibers in each successive layer are oriented at right angles to that in the previous layer for maximum toughness. The hard corrugated surface of the outer layer, the soft but tough internal orthogonal collagen layers, and the hydration of the scales all contribute to their ability to flex and deform while remaining strong—a solution that allows the fish to remain mobile while heavily armored.
These are 100% natural Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales RECYCLED from the food industry and we obtain our fish scales from a managed area in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. No animals are harmed solely for their scales, no way!
All scales are previously washed and dried and don't have a fishy smell. Of course, I have been around them for just about all my life, so it is possible that some people find a slight fishy smell on them. Once the Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales are washed and dried, they'll curve slightly as shown in the pictures. If you need to FLAT THEM out, soak them in water and add a lightweight over a towel and they will turn flat for your needs. You can also use Pirarucu fish scales to polish your fingernails, that's how the ladies in the jungle have done for centuries.
❁ DETAILS:
Item: natural arapaima fish scales
Quantity: you pick the qty in the menu - please note that as pictured, these scales will vary in size, shape, and color. Some are naturally lighter than others, that's just the way they are.
Size: they will vary in size, shape, and overall form, ranging from 2-3 inches wide x 2-3.5 inches tall
Drilling Pirarucu Arapaima fish scales: the correct way to drill these fish scales is using a Dremel, don't use a hole punch as it will crack the scale. You can also cut or trim them with a pair of scissors.
NOTE: soak the scales in water and lay over a towel, add a lightweight over it and they will slowly flatten out.
❁ MORE ABOUT PIRARUCU FISH:
Pirarucu or Paiche are the popular names for "Arapaima gigas", they are the largest freshwater fish of South America, and among the largest freshwater fish in the world. Arapaima can reach lengths of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in), in some exceptional cases even more than 2.5 m (8 ft 2 in) and over 100 kg (220 lb). As one of the most sought-after food fish species in South America, it is often captured primarily by handheld nets for export, spearfishing for local consumption, and consequently, large arapaima of more than 2 m (6 ft 7 in) are seldom found in the wild today. The fish is now farmed in a very sustainable way, in the wild by specific communities throughout the Amazon. Our scales come from these areas.
The Arapaima is torpedo-shaped with large blackish-green scales and red markings. It is streamlined and sleek, with its dorsal and anal fin set back near its tail. Its local name, Paiche, derives from the indigenous words for "red" and "fish". Pirarucu / Arapaima is often shown on the TV as a monster river in the "River Monsters" show. We find them to be easy-going fish but will definitely hurt you with their massive bonehead when trying to catch them.
The arapaima has a fundamental dependence on surface air to breathe. In addition to gills, it has a modified and enlarged swim bladder, composed of lung-like tissue, which enables it to extract oxygen from the air. This is an adaptation to the often-hypoxic conditions of the Amazon floodplains but requires the arapaima to surface for air every 5 to 15 min. This tendency to stay at the surface makes it more vulnerable to attacks from spearfishermen.
Picture credit: Men holding Arapaima, credit to Animal Planet, River Monster show, image by Jeremy Wade with a 150-pound arapaima. Image Credit: DCL
