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Silver arowana Facts

Silver arowana Facts
Silver arowana is freshwater fish that belongs to the family bonytongues. It can be found in the Rupununi and Oyapock rivers in South America and in Amazon Basin. Silver arowana also inhabits floodplains and swamps with slow-flowing water. This fish can be also seen in aquariums around the world because of its unusual, beautifully colored body. Silver arowana represents important source of food for the local community. Uncontrolled collecting from the wild (due to pet trade) is another factor which decreases number of silver arowanas in the wild. Luckily, population of silver arowanas is still large and stable.
Interesting Silver arowana Facts:
Silver arowana can reach 30 to 47 inches in length.
Silver arowana has silver-colored body. Juveniles are covered with yellow-orange bars.
Silver arowana has elongated body, wedge-shaped head and wide mouth that opens in drawbridge-like manner. Two barbels on the lower jaw serve as sensory organs (they facilitate detection of food). Jaw bones, palate, tongue and pharynx are covered with teeth.
Scientific name of silver arowana is Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, which means "bone-tongued" ("Osteoglossum") fish with "two barbels" ("bicirrhosum").
Silver arowana is excellent jumper. It can leap more than 5 feet above the water. It is also good swimmer that moves its body in snake-like motion.
Silver arowana is diurnal animal (active during the day).
Silver arowana has keen eyesight which ensures fast identification of prey in and above the surface of the water.
Silver arowana is an omnivore (mixed diet based on plants and animals). It eats fish, aquatic insects, birds and plant matter. Turtles, snakes, rodents and even monkeys are occasionally on the menu.
Silver arowana is also known as "Water Monkey" because of its habit to jump out of the water and collect food from the branches located above the surface of the water.
Silver arowana can recognize its owner and it can be trained to take food from his/her hands.
Young silver arowanas can be found in groups, while adults show aggression toward each other (they prefer solitary lifestyle).
Mating season of silver arowanas takes place at the beginning of the flooding season. Fertilization takes place in the water (males and females release sperm cells and eggs directly into the water). Female produces 50 to 250 eggs per season.
Male keeps fertilized eggs in his mouth 50 to 60 days, until they hatch. Fry feeds on remains of yolk during the first few days of their life.
Until the age of 3 weeks (and length of 1.2 to 1.5 inches), young silver arowanas hide from predators in the mouth of their father. At the age of 5 weeks, they become ready for the independent life.
Silver arowana can survive 20 years in the wild, and 10 to 20 years in the captivity.


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