Megalops atlanticus - The Atlantic tarpon is a strong and hardy giant growing to 2.5 meters in length and weighing up to 161 kilos. It can survive in a variety of habitats and salinities. The tarpon can even gulp air for extended periods of time when not enough oxygen is available in the water to sustain itself. Tarpons primarily inhabit coastal waters and feed on schooling fish or crabs. Although a migratory fish, there is a resident community in Nicaragua’s San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua.
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The Federal Republic of Central America had picked Nicaragua as the more suitable location for building a shipping canal to connect the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Efforts to enlist the United States for technical and financial support failed. With shipping volume increasing in the Panama Canal, a renewed interest has been redirected to the construction of a second trans-ocean canal along a path cutting across Nicaragua and using the San Juan River and Lake Nicaragua as the main route.
