The true size of Arapaima gigas

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Zoodiver;2168431; said:
This one?

arapaima.jpg
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looking at that i would put that fish around 8 and a half feet if that is a man of avrage height if you look at the pic the man is hunched over so just my geuss still hell of a fish
 
If we had an exact idea of scale we could certainly make an worthy estimate. Around three meter (+or-) sounds accurate. If the man is taller than I'm guesstimating the fish is of course bigger. Seems like the man could put his head in the fishes mouth.
 
The man is also holding the fish forward and up. That makes the fish seem smaller than if it was held strait up and down.
 
The guy is not standing upright, and the fish hangs not on the ground with the tail. Furthermore the guy is standing behind the fish, what makes it looking even bigger. This fish seems to be actually not longer than about 2,5m, most probably lesser. This is again a good example how big fish can look even bigger than they actually are.
I know that there are only "rumors" about those super colossal freshwater stingrays, but that´s the same with many of the other fish, including the arapaima (and I don´t believe in one of them, especially not in the case of the arapaima and the wels catfish, because I know they are false).
But anyway the giant freshwater rays grow very large. This guy for example could be well in the 3m-range and longer than every arapaima: http://www.gofishing.co.uk/Netstar/...ageGallery/Thumbnails/59/30659/3240_11047.jpg
 
Zoodiver;2140559; said:
What 100% freshwater fish is longer than an arapaima?

Only a 2.65m max size in South America? I've seen 4 year old arapaima longer than that.

5m length is not really a stretch. I've seen 4.2m (14 feet) in person a fairly young ages when you think about how long they can live. I would guess 15 feet to be a max size.

Where are our 'facts' coming from? Only Asian fish farms?
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I am quoting this because I don't get how the original poster can continue with his posts about how they max out at a certain size when a well trusted member of this forum (Who works with these fish) has told you plainly he has seen one over 4 meters.
 
dallas world aquarium has a couple 10-12 footers that i've seen in person multiple times
 
Sorry that arapaima photo still looks to me like the fish is well over 7.5 ft. or 2.5ft longer than the (even if the man is only 5ft tall) man bent over or not. I still think its in the + or - of 3 meter. I'm actually considering showing this post to my fisheries professor and attempt to calculate some actual numbers on some of these unmarked fish, the man is a fish guru and the resource to make some calculations.
 
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