North American dorado (SciiFii)

The North American dorado (Salminus americanus) is a large, predatory characiform freshwater fish that originally did not exist, but has since been created by SciiFii and introduced throughout the wetlands, lakes, and rivers across North America to help boost biodiversity. The closest living relative of the North American dorado is the golden dorado (Salminus brasiliensis). Despite having Salminus in its name, th North American dorado is not related to any species of salmon, nor to the saltwater fish also called dorado. The North American dorado has a large head, with powerful jaws filled with sharp teeth. Adults are yellowish-brown in color, but juveniles are more silvery. Immatures (to a lesser extent adults) resemble Brycon hilarii and Salminus brasiliensis. It reaches maturity around 37 centimeters (15 inches) long. The average size of the North American dorado is about 3–10 kg (6.6–22.0 lb). The largest recorded size is 1.3 meters (51 inches) in length and 34 kg (75 lb) in weight. Females grow considerably larger than males, but otherwise the sexes are similar. The North American dorado is the apex predator in its freshwater habitat. They are primarily piscivores, eating a wide variety of fish, but have also been recorded feeding on large insects, crustaceans and small vertebrates (for example, rodents, lizards and birds). Some of the adult North American dorado's favorite prey includes schooling fish. In the larval stage, North American dorados feed on plankton. As they grow larger, they switch to insects and small fish. The North American dorado is migratory in response to temperature, season and food sources, and moves upstream, typically about 400 km (250 mi), to spawn in the late summer and middle fall. It is generally a solitary species, but migrates in groups. The females reach maturity when 4–5 years old and can lay up to 2 million eggs, which are released near the water surface. North American dorados can reach an age of more than 15 years. The conservation status of the North American dorado is Least Concern due to successful conservation efforts and the North American dorado's wide range.