Dourado

The title of this article is ambiguous. For other terms, see Dourado (disambiguation) .

Dourado
Dourado ( Salminus brasiliensis )
Systematics
Otophysa Order : Tetras (Characiformes) Family : Bryconidae Subfamily : Salmininae Genre : Salminus Type : Dourado
Scientific name
Salminus brasiliensis
( Cuvier , 1816)

The Dourado ( Salminus brasiliensis ), also South American salmon tetra, engl. Golden Dorado, Salmo Characin, Spanish also called Tigre de Rio, Damita or Pirayú, is one of the large trout predatory tetras and lives in tropical and subtropical rivers in South America .

Systematics

Although the dourado bears the scientific name Salminus , it is neither related to the salmon nor to the saltwater dorado . Synonyms are Salminus maxillosus , Salmo auratus and Salmo dorado . According to some scientists, there are three subspecies: S. maxillosus , S. brasiliensis and S. hilarii .

description

The Dourado has a large head with strong jaws, which are set with sharp rows of teeth. Sexual maturity occurs from a length of 37 centimeters, during this period the fish develop their typical green to gold-iridescent color. The fins are usually light yellowish to orange in color. Similar to the salmonids , Salminus species have an adipose fin. The Dourados, which can be up to 9 years old, reach an average weight of three to ten kilograms. The largest record fish caught so far with a line was 1 meter long and weighed 31.4 kilograms.

distribution

The Dourado is native to the river system of the Río de la Plata and is common in the major rivers Rio Paraná , Río Paraguay, Río Uruguay in Brazil , Paraguay , Argentina and Uruguay . In Bolivia it occurs in the Rio Chaparé and Rio Mamoré . It was suspected but not proven in the upper reaches of the Amazon . Occasionally it occurs in some rivers of the Rio São Francisco such as the Rio Paraopeba or Rio Cipó. Sometimes they are also widespread in some reservoirs that are enriched with oxygen by a flowing water . In the Iguaçu and associated Salto Santiago reservoir, a biogeographical region with high biodiversity and endemic ichthyofauna, in the Brazilian state of Paraná , the predatory fish were introduced and have now established themselves, but displaced local fish species.

Way of life

Salminus brasiliensis is a typical diurnal predatory fish that hunts a wide range of forage fish in the open water. One of its most common prey is the Sabalo Prochilodus lineatus , which lives in the same habitat , forms schools and weighs between one and four kilograms. Other species are Leporinus obtusidens , Pimelodus spp ., Parapimelodus valenciennesi and the Palometa ( Serrasalmus marginatus ), as well as crustaceans. Dourados live solitary or in small groups and live mainly in fast-flowing water zones such as rapids, where they can reach high speeds when hunting thanks to their muscular body. The spawning season takes place in the months of October to November during the rainy season. In the Pantanal swamp area of ​​the Brazilian states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul , this period is called Piracema, if u. a. the Dourado also begins its migration to its spawning grounds. Fishing is strictly prohibited during this time and is monitored by the Brazilian federal authorities. Several milkers follow a rogner, which spawns up to 200,000 fish eggs on the gravel ground. Their population can double every 1.5 to four years, depending on the type of water. The Dourado prefers water temperatures between 24 and 28 ° C and needs oxygen-rich and low-nitrate water for ideal living conditions.

use

The dourado is as important to anglers as the salmon. Its great popularity is due on the one hand to its firm and very tasty meat, and on the other hand to its high jumps, aggressiveness and fighting power, which have given rise to international fishing tourism on rivers with frequent occurrences. The best months to catch the Dourados are October and November. The month of May is considered to be the best month for catching large specimens. Fishing on the Dourado is subject to a strict "Catch & Release" regulation, which is particularly strict in Argentina, and locally specified minimum dimensions apply. The Festival de la Pesca del Dorado takes place every year at Paso de la Patria, one of the best fishing areas for the Dourado on the Rio Paraná in Corrientes Argentina just before the border with Paraguay. Salminus brasiliensis is also suitable for aquaculture with adequate oxygen supply . Dourados can also be kept in aquariums as juvenile fish up to a certain size.

Preparation of the dourado

Dourado fillets are considered noble, they are often grilled with tomatoes or peppers. Also in the preparation as fish soup or fried. The meat is white and flaky and has a relatively high fat content.

threat

Wildlife in the Dourados has been severely decimated by overfishing, water pollution and the construction of power plants on the Rio Paraná, such as the Yacyretá dam. In 2005, the Dourado was declared a fish of national interest in Argentina by legal decree. In the 1980s, 200 tonnes of Dourados were caught annually, and the catch quota was falling continuously. In the meantime, fish ladders and stairs have been built at the Yacretá Dam to enable fish to spawn, similar to salmon in Europe. The stocks in the Esteros del Iberá nature reserve have now recovered well. Natural enemies of the young Dourado fish are caimans and palometa piranhas . A research project is currently under way to study the Dourado populations in the Paraná, Uruguay and Guaíba rivers.

Web links

Commons : Salminus brasiliensis  - album with pictures, videos and audio files

• NJ Richardson: Rumble in the Jungle [1]
• Photos of Dourados [2] , [3] , [4]

Individual evidence

1. ↑ port. Goldener
2. ↑ River Tiger
3. ↑ ^{a b c d} Dourado on Fishbase.org (English)
4. ↑ ^{a b c d} http://www.rs-fishing.com/media/Fisch-Beschrieb%202%20(Der%20Dourado).pdf
5. ↑ Occurrence of the non-native fish Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier, 1816), in a global biodiversity ecoregion, Iguaçu River, Paraná River basin, Brazil in http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/2010/AI_2010_5_2_Gubiani_etal.pdf
6. ↑ Tempo de inducao e de recuperacao de dourados Salminus brasiliensis (Cuvier, 1816), submetidos a diferentes concentracoes de oleo de cravo Eugenia sp. in http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Tempo+de+inducao+e+de+recuperacao+de+dourados+Salminus+brasiliensis...-a0197494388
7. ↑ Growth and Survival of Dorado Salminus brasiliensis (Pisces, Characidae) Post-larvae Cultivated with Different Types of Food and Photoperiods in http://www.scielo.br/pdf/babt/v50n3/10.pdf
8. ↑ Archive link ( Memento of the original from June 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  
9. ↑ http://www.paso-de-la-patria.com.ar/
10. ^ Dorado Festival
11. ↑ Apparent digestibility of ingredients in diets for Salminus brasiliensis in http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?pid=S0100-204X2008000200017&script=sci_arttext
12. ↑ http://www.aquarium-guide.de/s3_sal_forellen-raubsalmler.htm
13. ↑ Genetic biodiversity and conservation of Salminus brasiliensis in the Parana, Urugai and Guaíba river basins in archive link ( Memento of the original from April 17, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.