One thinks that the representatives of this family are the oldest fish between the living caracoidos ones. Its body is compressed, subcylindrical and very extended. They do not have fatty fin nor of great volume cleared: the ridge is always in front of the anal. Its head is very strong and bony, its mouth is great and Navy with caniniformes, present teeth even in paladar.

Hoplias malabaricus responds to a great amount of common names: tararira, taralila, tarango and tarucha in Argentina; in Uruguay tararira or litmus is said to him; in Brazil tareira, robato, trañira; in Colombia hawser, dentón, guabina, mocho, perraloca, dog.

Fish of good bearing, gets to surpass the 60 cm in length. Its grayish brown color in the dorsal part, is clarified towards the belly. Their flanks in addition present between four and six spots in form of "laid down V" with the vertex oriented towards the head. It usually frequents calm and little deep waters. At time of reproduction it looks for zones of not more than 30 cm of depth, between juncales or other plants. There with the fins it constructs a nest that consists of a hole of 15 cm of depth by 30 cm of diameter. When it is finished, the pair mates and lays eggs in him. Soon the male continues there, moving the fins, to oxygenate the water that covers the embryos. Tarariras is carnivorous with a diet based fundamentally on other fish: pejerreyes, sabalitos, dientudos, mojarras, chanchitas, old of water, etc. Its technique of hunting consists of remaining totally immovable, watching its prey; when this or happens to its reach, is sent to great speed not to give time the fled one.

It inhabits the river basins of Bermejo, the Pilcomayo, the Dulce River, the River Fourth, the system of the Iberá, average and inferior Parana, average and inferior Uruguay, the River of the Silver, the river basin of the Salty one (in prov. of Bs. Ace.), and lagoons of the North zone of prov. of Bs. As. Its capture in the modality spining is beside the point attractive. It belongs to the group of the caracínidos ones. It is characterized for being a fish covered with grudges, with the lacking head of them.

Of sedentary habits, this fish is one of sport and yearned for by the fans. Its physical contexture, of almost cylindrical body, allows to develop an unusual speed him of attack on its prey. Its prominent set of teeth, framed in a great and robust mouth, guarantees a sovereign dominion to him on all the area of its territory. Despite its apparent ferocidad, tararira exerts east dominion, fundamentally, to protect its young. It has gained him mote of exemplary mother between all its same types.

In our country two clearly different species exist: tararira common and tararira ñata. Both are resembled in the aggressiveness that declare naturally towards all whatever approaches to them and, in addition, by their general physical characteristics. Nevertheless they differ in some characteristics: tararira common presents body fusiform (almost cylindrical) and extended.

Tararira ñata, on the other hand presents a cleared body more and its mouth so is not extended. The mouth of both presents canine, sharpened and very strong teeth.

They break the lines with facility. In order to avoid that this happens, leaders or cables is used steel covered in plastic, in the end of the equipments. Its color is generally, dark or brown gray in the dorsal region. In the lateral ones of the body it presents/displays spots of darker tone, without defined contours, that are tornasolados or change of color in agreement with the means in which is the fish (greenish or brown). The dorsal fin of tararira is displaced backwards respect to the average axis of the body; it has two pectoral fins without rays of thorns, a anal fin and two ventral fins. It does not have fatty fins and its fin of great volume or tail presents the cleared ends. For their fishing different types from bait are used, between which we mentioned: lombrices, meat, heart, bait.