The Silver Arowana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a long
and beautiful fish known for its voracious appetite and constant surface
skimming, looking for things to fit into its mouth. It is native to
waterways of the Amazon River and other areas in South America.
It
is a very popular fish for intermediate to expert aquarists as it swims
fairly gracefully and with purpose and has a nice and powerful jaw.
Aquarists like to watch it feed, especially live foods such as
earthworms and other insects. A true carnivore, the silver arowana can
be aggressive, especially toward smaller fish in the tank, so if you are
going to keep an arowana with other fish, choose tankmates wisely. Fish
that inhabit the middle and lower portion of the aquarium's water
column are preferable.
The silver arowana's domain is near the
surface, where it stays most of the time. The silver arowana is a visual
hunter, and it has been observed in the wild jumping out of the water
to snatch a hapless bug from an overhanging tree branch.
