Prepared by DDB PR
Asian Arowana Fact Sheet
Scientific Name: Scleropages Formosus
Family name: Osteoglossidae
Origin: South East Asia.
Maximum Size: 39"
PH: Slightly acid to neutral PH 6.5-7
Tank size :125 gallons
Feeding : Carnivorous
Favourite food: Feeder fish , crickets, young frogs, large insects ,and occasionally flakes
and pellets.
The Asian Arowana is a large bony tongue fish with the dorsal fin set far back near the
caudal peduncle . It is long and slender and moves with a gracefulness that brings beauty
to any home aquarium. Its mouth is big like a drawbridge and filled with many small teeth.
These Arowanas are excellent jumpers and are usually found in slow moving streams with
lots of weedy plants. If in aquariums, it will need adequate open swimming space.
The Asian Arowana’s scientific name is “ Scleropages formosus” and in Malay, it is known
as the “ Ikan Kelisa” While in Chinese , it is the “ Dragon Fish “ . This beauty is traditionally
sought after as an ornamental fish as it is an ancient fish credited with being a “good luck
charm” for Asians. In Japan, this fish is a prestige product making it very popular in the
country.
In this part of the world, the Asian Arowana is found in the wild mainly in Malaysia and
Indonesia. There are 3 major color varieties, namely Gold, Red and Green types. The
Asian Arowana has a low fecundity with an average of about 30 offsprings. All Arowanas
are mouth brooders, with the male incubating for about 7 weeks. One of the sexual
differences of this species is that the males have wider and deeper mouths for incubating
purposes.
The Asian Arowana makes up for its low breeding ability by its hardiness and longevity.
The fish has been known to live up to 60 years in aquaria and perhaps longer in the wild
. At the farm , fish of over 30 years are still thriving well. The Asian Arowana grows rather
fast and some can grow up to 3 feet(90cm) or more in the wild weighing up to 7 kg.