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These are one of the most
exciting of the freshwater fishes.
They are easily cared
for and make impressive displays.
There are six known
species of Arowanas, and all of them can grow to be more than
3' long !
So
these fish deserve large
aquariums.
Arowanas are living
fossils.
They are a group of fishes
that have remained virtually unchanged from
early
geological time and belong to a group whose other members are
extinct.
Gingko trees and
Coelacanths are living fossils. As are
Arowanas!
They are often called
Dragon Fish.
Common
Names
Scientific Names
Max.
Size
African Arowana - Heterotis
niloticus
40"+
Arowana,Silver Arowana
- Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
48"+
Black Arowana -
Osteoglossum ferreirai
40"+
Asian Arowana,Barramundi -
Scleropages formosus
36"+
Jardini Arowana,Northern
Arowana - Scleropages jardini
36"+
Leichardti Arowana,Spotted
Barramundi - Scleropages leichardti
36"+
Recommended
Diet:
When they are small, Arowanas should be
fed live and frozen brine shrimp, black worms, and a few small fish.
As Arowanas grow larger they are
usually fed larger fish. Silver Arowanas have been seen
leaping out of the water to eat insects from trees.
Compatibility:
Arowanas are often kept in large aquariums with large
Plecostomus, Catfish, large active Cichlids, and large Tinfoil Barbs
or Silver dollars. Large knifefish can also be kept with
Arowanas.
Size
and Life Span:
All the various species of Arowanas can grow to be be very large.
The maximum known sizes are given in the table above. Their life
spans are unknown to us, but all Arowana species probably live for
many years.
Spelling. The word Arowana is
often spelled in alternate ways such as Arrowana, Arawana, and
Aruana.
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