Photo by Matthew Inabinett, CC BY · source · credits
1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Surface predator; eats any fish that fits its mouth.
85 species in our list are a good match.
Surface predator; eats any fish that fits its mouth.
Good to know: Grows to about 90 cm and jumps; needs a huge tank with a heavy lid. Asian arowana are protected and illegal in many countries.
Insects, prawns, carnivore sticks.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Rarely bred in captivity ·
Paternal mouthbrooder: the male holds the eggs and then the fry for about two months. Not recorded breeding in home aquaria; bred commercially in outdoor ponds.
Group of adults in a large pond.
Large ponds with groups.
Wet season cues.
Females produce a small number of large eggs, about 50-250 per season; a typical brood held by the male is 12-30.
Fry grow fast on live food.
Famous for leaping high out of the water to grab prey from overhanging branches, mostly insects and spiders, and occasionally small birds, bats or mice; locally called the 'water monkey'.
Georges Cuvier described the silver arowana in 1829. Nicknamed the 'water monkey', it can leap from the water to snatch insects and small animals from overhanging branches. Males brood the eggs and young in their mouths.
First described by Georges Cuvier in 1829.
16 facts checked with sources
Valid name. Do not confuse with the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), which is CITES Appendix I; the silver arowana is not CITES-listed. Black arowana (O. ferreirai) juveniles are sometimes sold alongside.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summaryLegacy has no family.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summary · Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumFishBase 90 cm TL (max); Seriously Fish 80 cm SL. ADW mentions up to about 120 cm, unreferenced in detail; not used.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summary · Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumExact match to FishBase; Seriously Fish allows a wider 20-30 °C.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summary · Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumInside Seriously Fish's 5.0-7.5.
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumLegacy has no hardness.
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumSeriously Fish gives only a minimum length (2 m) and says the species is suitable only for public or very large private aquaria; no width/depth, so no litre figure can be derived without guessing (e.g. 200 x 60 x 60 cm would be only 720 L, too narrow for a 80-90 cm fish to turn). Legacy 4,000 L is not contradicted; keep as a recommendation.
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumBest kept singly; groups form a pecking order even in big tanks (Seriously Fish).
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumADW lists 6.5 years in captivity (from AnAge), which is a single recorded figure, not a typical or maximum lifespan. No reliable typical lifespan found; 15+ years is not confirmed.
Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Osteoglossum bicirrhosumSeriously Fish describes it as a predator that is peaceful with fish too big to eat but aggressive to its own kind; 'semi-aggressive' fits better than 'aggressive'. It will eat any fish that fits in its mouth.
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumUpturned (superior) mouth for taking prey at the surface.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summaryLegacy has no native range.
FishBase: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum summary · Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosumADW: spawning in the wild starts with the floods (December-January).
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Osteoglossum bicirrhosum'Dozens' fits. Fry are 50-75 mm long when released (Seriously Fish).
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Osteoglossum bicirrhosumLeaping and birds confirmed. The 'dragon fish / lucky in Asian cultures' belief belongs mainly to the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus), not this South American species; it was not confirmed in a fetched source and is left out of the value.
Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum · Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan): Osteoglossum bicirrhosum · Wikipedia: Silver arowana (cites Tovar Verba et al. 2018 J. Fish Biol.; CITES Appendices 2023)