Salminus brasiliensis
| Dorado | |
|---|---|
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Characiformes |
| Family: | Bryconidae |
| Genus: | Salminus |
| Species: | S. brasiliensis |
| Binomial name | |
| Salminus brasiliensis (G. Cuvier, 1816) | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Salminus cuvieri Valenciennes, 1850 | |
Salminus brasiliensis (dorado, golden dorado or jaw characin) is a large river fish found in central and east-central South America. Despite having Salminus in its name, the dorado is not related to any species of salmon, nor to the saltwater fish also called dorado. It is very popular among recreational anglers and supports large commercial fisheries.
Description
The golden dorado has a large head, with powerful jaws filled with sharp teeth. It reaches maturity around 37 cm (15 in) long, and is golden colored. The average size of the golden dorado is about 3–10 kg (6.6–22.0 lb). The largest recorded size is 100 cm (39 in) length and 31.4 kg (69 lb).[1]
Distribution and habitat
The golden dorado lives in warm freshwater habitats in southern Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, and northern Argentina, in the river basins of the Paraguay, Uruguay, Chapare, and Mamoré Rivers, and the drainage of the Lagoa dos Patos.[1] The dorado is considered an endangered species in Paraguay, so a five-year fishing ban was put into effect there.[2] Other South American river basins hold relatives of this species: S. franciscanus in the São Francisco Basin, S. hilarii in the upper Paraná, Amazon and Orinoco basins, and S. affinis in the Santiago and Magdalena basins in Ecuador and Colombia.
"Dorado", both in the name of the fish and other uses such as the El Dorado legend, originates from the Latin word for gold, auratus (later modified into dauratus in Vulgar Latin, and subsequently oro in Spanish and ouro in Portuguese).
The Portuguese word "dourado" literally means "golden" - and is applied to the fish due to its color displaying golden reflections.
Diet
Golden dorados are piscivores, eating a wide variety of prey fish. One of the dorado's favorite prey is the sabalo, a type of schooling fish typically 1–4 kg (2–9 lb) in weight. They also actively prey for several species of Astyanax, also known as lambari, within these especially A. altiparanae, A. bimaculatus, and A. fasciatus, as well as fishes from the Gymnotidae family, genus Gymnotus and known in Brazil as tuvira or sarapó.
Fishing
The golden dorado is highly sought-after by anglers, both for its appreciated meat and its fighting ability. The aggressive nature of the dorado, its high jumps, fighting strength and stamina have created a competitive market among anglers from all corners of the world, traversing South American waters in hopes of hooking a dorado.
From the 2000s onwards, the dorado has been increasingly recognized as a fly-fishing targeted species. Its aggressive behavior and initiative taking flies as an active predator, paired with great fight energy, frequently going airborne in the attempt to loosen itself from the hook, make this species a true gamefish.
This fish usually takes flies both on surface and sub-surface and anglers tend to make use of heavier fly tackle (#6 and up, reaching #12 in some places) for placing bulky flies which are seen to be more attractive for the Dorado.
Also often used by fly fishermen are Intermediate and Sinking-Tip fly lines once the species feeds on fast currents. The Dorado is an avid hunter but can be a lazy chaser. Anglers make use of either very slow or very fast movement of the flies to spark attacks by the dorado, depending on the region and season, denoting a gregarious behavior and ambush feeding strategy. It would not move after prey and attack passing-by fish or react only when the prey are in deliberate attempt to escape.
Shiny, flashy material is very attractive to this fish, which led to the development of flies with lots of shiny, colorful material, or in opposition, dark or black ones suggesting lesser visual accuracy of the species.
Fly fishermen use minnow-like flies, streamers and other fish-imitating flies, but the preference of the fish for big-sized flies that swim below the surface originated a specific pattern - the Andino Deceiver.
Due to the Dorado's very sharp teeth, anglers use steel wire or fluorocarbon monofilament bite tippets, to avoid the fish cutting the line.
Culinary preparation
Golden Dorados are excellent to eat and are often barbecued with tomatoes and bell peppers. Often utilized in the making of fish soups they are also popularly fried in South America. The Dorado has a white flaky flesh with a notably high fat content.
References
- 1 2 Froese, Rainer and Pauly, Daniel, eds. (2011). "Salminus brasiliensis" in FishBase. October 2011 version.
- ↑ Law Number 3191/07, Which prohibits the fishing, extraction, collecting and stocking for ulterior commercialization of the species Salminus maxillosus, of common name Dorado fish. (MS Word Document) (In Spanish). Retrieved on 20 November 2010.
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