All fish / Osteoglossidae

Silver arowana

Osteoglossum bicirrhosum

Also known as silver aro, silver arrowana, 银龙, 银龙鱼

Long, silver surface predator from flooded Amazon forests, famous for leaping to take insects from branches.

Care at a glance

Care level

Hard

Temperament

Aggressive

Adult size

90 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

6 to 7

Smallest tank

1200 litres

Keep as

Alone

Diet

Carnivore: insects, prawn, floating pellets

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

15 years or more

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Amazon basin

Breeding

Mouthbrooder; not bred in home aquariums.

Good to know

Sold small and cheap but grows to around 90 cm; needs a very long tank and a heavy lid. Not CITES-listed, unlike the Asian arowana.