Payara
The payara is a species of dogtooth tetra. This predatory fish is found in the Amazon Basin in tropical South America. It was the first of four species to be described in the genus Hydrolycus.
Description
The most noticeable feature of H. scomberoides is the two long fangs protruding from its lower jaw. These are used to impale its prey, mostly smaller fish. It typically reaches a standard length of about, but can reach up to. Reports exist of far larger individuals, up to in total length and in weight, based on records by IGFA, but this likely involves confusion with the related H. armatus.H. scomberoides is overall silvery with a dark spot behind the opercle and another at the lower base of the pectoral fin. In adults, the tail is dusky on the basal half, turning paler towards the tip.