Asian Arowana

Where it lives

Asian arowana inhabit slow, blackwater rivers, peat swamps, and forest pools of Southeast Asia, from the Malay Peninsula through Borneo and Sumatra. They prefer warm, soft, tannin-stained water draped with submerged vegetation and overhanging branches.

How to recognise it

A long, ribbon-like body with very large, metallic scales arranged in distinct rows. Coloration varies dramatically by population: red, gold, green, and silver strains command different prices. Two whisker-like barbels project from the lower jaw. The dorsal and anal fins are set far back near the long, flat tail.

Diet & behavior

Surface hunters that prowl just below the film, snapping at insects, small fish, and frogs. Arowanas are mouthbrooders — males carry hundreds of large yolked eggs and free-swimming fry in their mouth cavity. Adults are highly territorial.

Fisheries & Conservation

Listed as Endangered. Wild populations have collapsed from habitat loss and the ornamental trade. Most legal arowana in the aquarium market are micro-chipped, CITES-tagged farm-bred fish.