Silver Arowana care guide
Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) — minimum tank 2000 L, temperature 24-30 °C, pH 6-7.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a large bonytongue fish reaching up to 100 cm in body length, with a long, sleek silver body, very large metallic scales and a pair of barbels on the lower jaw. It is renowned for leaping above the water surface to seize prey from overhanging branches.
Taxonomy
- Family: Osteoglossidae
- Genus: Osteoglossum
- Scientific name: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum
- Common synonyms: Dragon Fish, Monkey Fish
Habitat
Native to the Amazon basin of South America, including parts of Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Guyana and Ecuador. The species inhabits slow-moving sections of large rivers and flooded forest (várzea), staying close to the surface in soft, warm and slightly acidic blackwater.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 2000 L (528.3 US gal)
- Adult size: 60-100 cm
- Temperature: 24-30 °C (75-86 °F)
- pH: 6-7.5
- GH: 2-10 °dGH
- Water flow: low
- Lifespan: 10-20 years
Diet
A surface-oriented carnivore that takes insects, crustaceans, small fish, birds and other small vertebrates. In aquaria it accepts floating pellets, large frozen shrimp, krill, earthworms and gel diet; the tank must be tightly covered as the fish leaps powerfully.
Compatibility
Predatory and territorial; should be kept singly or in a very large multi-Arowana group only with careful planning. Suitable tank mates are similarly sized robust fish that occupy lower water layers — large plecos, Oscar, freshwater stingrays and bichirs. Anything small enough to fit in its mouth will be eaten.
Breeding
A paternal mouthbrooder. Captive breeding is uncommon and typically reported only from large ponds. The male carries up to about 200 large yolk-bearing eggs and fry in his mouth for several weeks; juveniles emerge already several centimetres long.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: not formally assessed for Osteoglossum bicirrhosum as of the latest IUCN reviews, but populations are pressured by ornamental-trade collection and habitat change in parts of the Amazon. CITES Appendix II for the closely related Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) does not apply to this species.
Silver Arowana Breeding Guide
Overview
Osteoglossum bicirrhosum is a large, ancient predator native to the Amazon, Essequibo and Oyapock basins of South America. It is a paternal mouthbrooder: the male carries the eggs, larvae and early juveniles in his mouth.
Spawning Behavior
After spawning, the male takes the fertilised eggs into his mouth and broods them there. The male continues to shelter the developing larvae and early juveniles in his buccal cavity.
Egg & Fry Care
Paternal oral incubation lasts for nearly six weeks, during which the developing young are protected inside the male's mouth until they are large enough to be released.
Common Challenges
The adult size, the space needed to form pairs and trigger spawning, and the prolonged mouthbrooding mean that reproduction is the domain of commercial farms rather than the home aquarium.