There
are different types of Arowanas, classified into Asian, South American,
Australian and African.
Asian
Arowanas
(a). Super
Red Arowana(Chili and Blood)
(b). 1.5
Grade Red Arowana(xbreed between Red and yellow tail Arowana)
(c). Malaysian Crossback Arowana
(d). Green Arowana
(e). Red
Tailed Golden Arowana
(f). Yellow
Tailed Arowana
Arowana
Information
Home Arowana Care Arowana pics Betta siamese fighting fish d>
The breeding of asian arowana
In wild, arowana pair themselves up by natural selection. They spend weeks to months courting, and when they are ready, the female will lay eggs on a slow stream riverbed and the male will fertilize them immediately.
Fertilized eggs are then scooped up by the male arowana and the eggs will hatch in his mouth. The eggs hatch in about two months. The fry then leaves the father's mouth, initially for a brief time only and slowly increase the duration.
The father arowana will signal his fries when there is a sign of danger and the fries will swim back immediately for refuge. The fries will leave the father when they are capable to survive by themself.
Arowana are usually breed in a earth pond. Breeding arowana in a tank is possible but much harder.
In earthpond breeding, tens of matured arowanas (half males, half females) are put into the pond and a natural selection of pairs are allowed. The arowanas are observed carefully. When a pair is formed, they will chase the others away and will start laying eggs. A net is then put in to separate the pair from the other arowanas. When the fries are free swimming, they are netted and kept in grow up tanks.
Asian Arowana are hard to sex, especially when they are young. Generally, males are larger in size and have bigger fins then the females. They also have wider and deeper jaws (to hold the eggs and fries). Females, on the other hand are smaller in size and have a more rounded body. It takes a lot of experience to sex mature asian arowana. Only when they started breeding, you can be 100% sure which one is male and which is female.
The time for arowanas to mature depends on the condition they are growing in. The better the care, the earlier they will reach maturity. Generally a female takes 2-3 years and a male 4-5 years to reach maturity.
Different Types Of Arowanas
South
American Arowanas
(a). Silver
Arowana
(b). Black
Arowana
Australian Arowanas
(a). Pearl Arowana
(b). Golden
Pearl Arowana
(c). Red
Pearl Arowana (very rare)
African
Arowanas
(a).
Araipaima Gigas(not suitable for aquarium tank rearing)
The main
difference between the Asian Arowanas and the rest are the scales! Asian
Aros have 5 steps of scales comparing to their counterparts which are
having 7 steps of scales.
RTG = Red Tail Golden
XBACK =
Cross Back
YT = Yellow Tail
YTL = Yi Tiao Long ( straight line scales on 6th level
)
TKL = Tikum Leng
PLJ =
Protruding Lower Jaw
SR = Super Red ( Grade 1 Red
)
CR = Chilli Red
ER =
Emperor Red
BMB XB = Bukit Merah Blue
PG = Panda Gold
PHG = Pahang
Gold
PR = Purple Red
EBXB =
Electric Blue Crossback
VFSR = Violet Fusion Super
Red
BB = Beneficial Bacteria
SABF = Singapore Arowana Breeding Farm ( Farm based in
Singapore )
DFI = Dragon Fish Industry ( Farm based
in Singapore )
QH = Qian Hu ( Farm based in
Singapore )
swimming fortune
| Asian arowana | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Super red
arowana | ||||||||||||||
| Conservation status | ||||||||||||||
| Scientific classification | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Scleropages
formosus Müller and Schlegel, 1844 |
Asian arowana refers to several varieties of freshwater fish in the genus Scleropages. Some sources differentiate these varieties into multiple species while others consider the different strains to belong to a single species, Scleropages formosus. They have several other common names, including Asian bonytongue, dragon fish, and a number of names specific to different varieties.
Native to Southeast Asia, Asian arowanas inhabit blackwater rivers, slow-moving waters flowing through forested swamps and wetlands. Adults feed on other fish, while juveniles feed on insects.[5]
These popular aquarium fish have special cultural significance in areas influenced by Chinese culture. The name dragon fish stems from their resemblance to the Chinese dragon. This popularity has had both positive and negative effects on their status as endangered species.
Contents |
Evolution and taxonomy
Like all members of Osteoglossidae, Asian arowanas are highly adapted to fresh water and are incapable of surviving in the ocean. Therefore, their spread throughout the islands of southeast Asia suggests they diverged from other osteoglossids before the continental breakup was complete. Genetic studies have confirmed this hypothesis, showing that their ancestor of the Asian arowanas diverged from the ancestor of the Australian arowanas, S. jardinii and S. leichardti, about 140 million years ago, during the Early Cretaceous period. This divergence took place in the eastern margin of Gondwanaland, with the ancestors of Asian arowanas carried on the Indian subcontinent or smaller landmasses into Asia. The morphological similarity of all Scleropages species shows that little evolutionary change has taken place recently for these ancient fish.[6]
The first description of these species was published between 1839 and 1844 (1844 is the date commonly cited) by German naturalists Salomon Müller and Hermann Schlegel, under the name Osteoglossum formosum, although later this species was placed in Scleropages with the name S. formosus.[7]
Super red arowana
in a public aquarium.
Several distinct, naturally occurring colour varieties are recognised, each found in a specific geographic region. They include the following:
- The green is the most common variety, found in Vietnam, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Malaysia.
- The silver Asian (not to be confused with the silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is considered part of the green variety by some. It has two subvarieties, the "grey tail silver" or "Pinoh arowana," and the "yellow tail silver," each found in a different part of the island of Borneo in Indonesia.
- The red-tailed golden is found in northern Sumatra, Indonesia.
- The gold crossback, blue Malayan, or Bukit Merah blue is native to the state of Pahang and Bukit Merah area in Perak, Malaysia.
- The red, super red, blood red, or chili red is known only from the upper part of the Kapuas River in western Borneo, Indonesia.
In 2003, a study[2] was published which proposed breaking S. formosus into four separate species. This classification was based on both morphology and genetics, and includes the following species:
- Scleropages formosus was redescribed to include the strain known as the green arowana. The gold crossback, which was not part of the study, was included in this species by default.
- Scleropages macrocephalus described the silver Asian arowana.
- Scleropages aureus described the red-tailed golden arowana.
- Scleropages legendrei described the super red arowana.
Other researchers dispute this reclassification, arguing that the published data are insufficient to justify recognizing more than one Southeast Asian species of Scleropages.[8]
Description
Asian
arowana scales are large (most over 2 cm in length) and have a delicate net
pattern.
Asian arowanas grow up to 90 cm (35 in) total length.[9] Like all Scleropages, Asian arowanas have long bodies; large, elongate pectoral fins; dorsal and anal fins located far back on the body; and a much larger caudal fin than that of their South American relative, the silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum. The mouth is oblique with a very wide gape. The prominent lower jaw has two barbels at its tip. The gill rakers are stout. Asian arowanas bear teeth on many bones of the mouth, including the jaws, vomer, palatines, pterygoids, parasphenoid, and tongue.[10]
Asian arowana scales are large, cycloid, and, in some varieties, metallic coloured, with a distinctive mosaic pattern of raised ribs.[11][2] The lateral scales are arranged in horizontal rows numbered from the most ventral (first level) to the most dorsal (fifth level), with dorsal scales designated the sixth level.[12]
Asian arowanas are distinguished from Australian congenerics S. jardinii and S. leichardti by having fewer (21-26) lateral line scales (versus 32-36 for the Australian species), longer pectoral and pelvic fins, and a longer anterior snout.[2]
Green arowanas are dark green on the back, silvery or golden green on its sides, and silvery or whitish on its ventral surface, with dark greenish or bluish patches visible through the lateral scales. In mature fish, the top of the eye and the head behind the eye are bright emerald.[2]
Both grey-tailed and yellow-tailed silver Asian arowanas are dark grey on the back and silver on the sides, with dark ring patches on the lateral scales and a silvery or whitish belly. In yellow-tailed specimens, the fin membranes are yellowish with dark grey rays. In grey-tailed specimens, the fins are uniform dark grey.[2]
Mature red-tailed golden arowanas have brilliant metallic gold lateral scales, gill covers, bellies, and pectoral and pelvic fin membranes, although the back is dark. In juveniles the areas destined to develop golden colour start out metallic silver. The anal fin and the bottom portion of the caudal fin are light brown to dark red.[2]
Mature gold crossback arowanas are distinguished from the red-tailed golden arowanas by having metallic gold crossing the back completely. This variety also lacks the reddish fins of the red-tailed golden.[13]
In mature super red arowanas, the gill covers, lateral scales, and fin membranes of these fishes are metallic red, with the exact hue varying from gold-tinged to deep red. The back is dark brown. In juveniles, the darker the dorsal colouration, the deeper the red will be on maturity.[2]
Behaviour
Asian arowanas are paternal mouthbrooders. They are slow to reach sexual maturity and difficult to breed in captivity, with successful spawnings typically taking place in large outdoor ponds rather than in aquaria.[14]
Two breeders reported success using a garden pond measuring 18 feet by 18 feet by 3.5 feet deep (5.5 metre by 5.5 metre by 1.1 metre deep), with pH maintained between 6.5 and 7.0. The fish were over five years old. The successful harvest took place after the third spawning; in the first two spawnings, the male swallowed the eggs, possibly due to improper water quality.[15]
Relationship with humans
Cultural beliefs
Asian arowanas are considered "lucky" by many people, particularly those from Asian cultures. This reputation derives from the species' resemblance to the Chinese dragon, considered an auspicious symbol.[16] The large metallic scales and double barbels are features shared by the Chinese dragon, and the large pectoral fins are said to make the fish resemble "a dragon in full flight."[17]
In addition, positive Feng Shui associations with water and the colours red and gold make these fishes popular for aquariums. One belief is that while water is a place where chi gathers, it is naturally a source of yin energy and must contain an "auspicious" fish such as an arowana in order to have balancing yang energy.[18] Another is that a fish can preserve its owner from death by dying itself.[19]
Conservation
The Asian arowanas are listed as endangered by the 2006 IUCN Red List, with the most recent evaluation taking place in 1996.[1] International trade in these fishes is controlled under the Convention on the International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna (CITES), under which it was placed on Appendix I, the most restrictive category, in 1975.[20] S. formosus is one of only eight fish species listed on Appendix I.[21] There are a number of registered CITES breeders in Asia and the specimens they produce can be imported into several nations. Other nations restrict or prohibit possession of Asian arowanas; for example, the United States has listed this species under the Endangered Species Act, and therefore it cannot be possessed in that country without a permit.[22]
Declining habitat is a major threat. For example, Asian arowanas are now uncommon in the Malay Peninsula, where they were once widely distributed, due to environmental destruction.[23] Inclusion in the IUCN Red List was originally based not on biological reasons but on practical ones: though widely distributed throughout southeast Asia, they have been harvested heavily by aquarium collectors. However, habitat loss is likely a greater threat than aquarium collecting.[24]
There is no recent evaluation of conservation status by IUCN.[1] Additionally, considering the current confusion as to number of species as well as the wide distribution, conservation status needs to be reconsidered. All strains are probably endangered, but some more critically than others.[2]
The Asian arowana's high value as aquarium fish has impacted its conservation. Its popularity has soared since the late 1970s, and hobbyists may pay thousands of U.S. dollars for one of these animals.[25][26]
Beginning in 1989, CITES began allowing Asian arowanas to be traded, provided certain criteria were met, most notably that they were bred in captivity on a fish farm for at least two generations.[27] The first of these farms was in Indonesia.[26] Later, the Singapore government's Agri-food and Veterinary Authority (then called the Primary Production Department) and a local fish exporter collaborated in a captive breeding program. Asian arowanas legally certified by CITES for trade became available from this program in 1994.[27]
Captive-bred arowanas that are legal for trade under CITES are documented in two ways. First, fish farms provide each buyer with a certificate of authenticity and a birth certificate. Second, each specimen receives an implanted microchip, called a Passive Integrated Transponder (PIT), which identifies individual animals.[26]
Genetic fingerprinting has been used to assess the genetic diversity of a captive population at a Singapore fish farm in order to improve the management of this species.[28] DNA markers that distinguish among different strains and between sexes have been identified, allowing aquaculturists to identify these characteristics in immature animals.[29]
Care in captivity
Because they can grow up to 90 centimetres (35 inches) long, Asian arowanas require a large aquarium. They are territorial and may be kept with other Scleropages only in a very large aquarium, provided all fish are of similar size. Like other arowanas, they need a tight-fitting cover to prevent jumping.[30] The water should be well-filtred, soft, and slightly acidic, and maintained at a temperature between 24-30° C (75-86° F).[30]
Asian arowanas are carnivorous and should be fed a high-quality diet of meaty food, such as shrimp and crickets. They are surface feeders and prefer to take food in the upper parts of the water column. Aquarists recommend live foods and meaty prepared foods. Examples of appropriate live foods include mealworms, crickets, shrimps, feeder fish, small frogs, and earthworms. Prepared foods include prawns (shrimp), lean pork, frozen fish food, and pelleted food.[31]
See also
Notes
Wikimedia Commons has
media related to:
- ^ a b c Kottelat, 1996.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i Pouyaud et al., 2003
- ^ ITIS, 2006.
- ^ Kottelat and Widjanarti, 2005.
- ^ Fishbase, 2006.
- ^ Kumazawa, 2000; Kumazawa et al., 2003.
- ^ Catalog of Fishes, 2006.
- ^ e.g. Kottelat and Widjanarti, 2005.
- ^ FishBase, 2006.
- ^ Ismail, 1989; Pouyaud et al., 2003; West & NSK (Arowana Club.com), 2003.
- ^ Ismail, 1989
- ^ West & NSK (Arowana Club.com), 2003.
- ^ Unoaquatic Arowana Group, 1999.
- ^ Fishindex.com, 2004.
- ^ Shin Min Daily News, 2005.
- ^ Dragonfish Industry, 1997.
- ^ West & NSK (Arowana Club.com), 2003.
- ^ Unoaquatic Arowana Group, 1999.
- ^ Hindustan Times, 2005.
- ^ Fishindex.com, 2004; CITES, 2005.
- ^ Dawes, 2001, p. 20.
- ^ United States Fish and Wildlife Service Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS).
- ^ Ismail, 1989, p. 27.
- ^ Ismail, 1989, p. 434.
- ^ Ismail, 1989, p. 434
- ^ a b c Lee, n.d.
- ^ a b Dawes, 2001, p. 22.
- ^ Fernando et al., 1997.
- ^ Yue et al., 2003.
- ^ a b Dawes, 2001, pp. 293-294.
- ^ Anglo Aquarium (n.d.); Shin Min Daily News, 2005; Fishindex.com, 2004.
References
- Arowana Dragon Fish - Feeding Information. Arowana Dragon Fish from Anglo Aquarium (n.d.). Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
- Catalog of Fishes (online version) Search results for Osteoglossum formosum. California Academy of Sciences (2006-04-17). Retrieved on 2006-08-15.
- Appendices I, II and III. CITES (2005-06-23). Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
- Dawes, John (2001). Complete Encyclopedia of the Freshwater Aquarium. New York: Firefly Books Ltd. ISBN 1-55297-544-4.
- Chinese Belief. Dragonfish Industry (1997). Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
- Fernando, A.A.; et al. (June 1997). "DNA fingerprinting: application to conservation of the CITES-listed dragon fish, Scleropages formosus (Osteoglossidae)". Aquarium Sciences and Conservation 1 (2): 91-104. Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
- "Scleropages formosus". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. 3 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
- Scleropages formosus (Asian Arowana). Fishindex.com (2004). Retrieved on 2006-07-01.
- "Superstitious Bangaloreans eat Arowana fish", Hindustan Times, 2005-11-10. Retrieved on 2006-05-10.
- Scleropages formosus (TSN 201898). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Retrieved on 11 March 2006.
- Kottelat, Maurice (1996). Scleropages formosus. 2006 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. IUCN 2006. Retrieved on 11 May 2006.
- Ismail, Mohd Zakaria (1989). "Systematics, Zoogeography, and Conservation of the Freshwater Fishes of Peninsular Malaysia" (doctoral dissertation). Colorado State University.
- Kottelat, Maurice; and Widjanarti, Enis (July 1, 2005). "The fishes of Danau Sentarum National Park and the Kapuas Lake Area, Kalimantan Barat, Indonesia". Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement No. 13: 139-173.
- Kumazawa, Yoshinori; Nishida, Mutsumi (2000). "Molecular Phylogeny of Osteoglossoids: A New Model for Gondwanian Origin and Plate Tectonic Transportation of the Asian Arowana". Molecular Biology and Evolution 17 (12). Retrieved on 2006-07-12.
- Kumazawa, Yoshinori (2003). "The reason the freshwater fish arowana live across the sea". Quarterly Journal Biohistory (Winter). Retrieved on 2006-07-02.
- Lee, Cheng. The Fate of the Asian Arowana in the Hands of the Aquarium Industry.
- Pouyaud, Laurent; Sudarto & Guy Teugels (December 2003). "The Different Colour Varieties of the Asian Arowana Scleropages formosus (Osteoglossidae) are distinct species: Morphologic and genetic evidences.". Cybium 27 (4): 287-305.
- Successful captive breeding of the Asian Arowanas (Translated by NSK, Arowana Club.com). Shin Min Daily News (May 16, 2005). Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
- USFWS Threatened and Endangered Species System (TESS): Scleropages formosus. United States Fish and Wildlife Service. Retrieved on 2007-01-26.
- World of Asian Arowana. Unoaquatic Arowana Group (1999). Retrieved on 2006-08-05.
- West & NSK (2003). General Parts of an Asian Arowana. Arowana Club.com. Retrieved on 2006-09-02.
- Yue, G.H.; Ong, D.; Wong, C.C.; Lim, L.C.; and Orban, L. (September 2003). "A strain-specific and a sex-associated STS marker for Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus, Osteoglossidae)". Aquaculture Research 34 (11): 951-957. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2109.2003.00949.x.
External links
|
MEET AN AQUARIST London, UK - Richard Richard "T1karmann" is an active and well known
member on internet forums devoted to the keeping of large predatory
fish. Richard lives in London, England and currently has one of the
most beautiful Asian arowana community tanks I have yet seen in
person. I was able to pay a visit to Richard's home in January 2008
to interview him and check out his fish collection. | ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
As already mentioned, Richard's arowana collection is the result of his trading a pair of breeding P-14 rays with the fellows at www.freshwaterstingray.nl. Richard may be starting all over again with his ray breeding, since thanks to Frank and Nico he also has a trio of young P-14's. Richard hopes to breed these fish one day. The juvenile colouration and marking of these rays is fantastic; vibrant blacks and whites, nice definition, and a profusion of spots - all hallmarks of high quality fish. | ||
| ||
|
I found Richard's eight "Electric Blue
Cross Back Gold" Asian arowana from Quian Hu to be on the whole a
wonderful group of fish - especially since not one of them has any
drop eye or protruding lower jaw. Concerning the entire collection
of Asian arowana, Richard thinks he may have spoiled the fish by
overfeeding them on a diet of king worms. Too much high protein food
fed too often can lead Asian arowana to bulk out too fast. This
added size seems to come at the expense of stronger colouration.
I'll leave it to Richard to offer this critique of his fish.
Personally, I look forward to seeing how the fish look in another
few years when their final adult colours should be set. | ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
| ||
| ||
|
ARTICLE
INFORMATION: |
