Edit Scleropages formosus
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Name
Scientific name
Scleropages formosus
Described by
Authority Müller & Schlegel, Year 1840, Bracketed
Family
Osteoglossidae
Common names
Asian Arowana
Photograph credits
All 8 credited
Summary
The Asian arowana, Scleropages formosus, is an osteoglossid from the Mekong system, eastern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra and Born…
Size and aquarium
Maximum size
900mm, standard length
Aquarium size
Not recorded
Water
Water conditions
Temperature 22–28°C, pH 5–8
Hardness
2–15dGH
Conductivity
Not recorded
Behaviour
Temperament
Not recorded
Social needs
Solitary or specimen
Community suitability
Not for a community
Where it lives
Countries, regions, rivers and lakes
Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Barito, Bukit Merah, Danau Sentarum, Doeson, Golok, Kapuas, Mekong, Melawi, Pinoh, Rajang
Writing
Etymology
Scleropages: from the Ancient Greek σκληρός (skleros), meaning 'hard', and pages (Latin derivation?), meaning 'leaves', perhaps in reference to the large body …
Distribution
Recorded from the Mekong river system in Vietnam and Cambodia, eastern Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, and the northern Sunda Islands (Sumatra and Borneo), alth…
Habitat
Inhabits natural lakes, swamps, flooded forests, and slowly-moving, deep parts of rivers with overhanging vegetative cover. Some forms inhabit blackwater syste…
Aquarium size
Suitable only for public installations or the very largest private aquaria.
Maintenance
Relatively unfussy and often maintained in completely bare set-ups. It does best if there is a high proportion of dissolved oxygen meaning external filters, po…
Water conditions
Not written yet
Diet
An obligate predator feeding on smaller fishes, crustaceans and other invertebrates in nature but in most cases adapting well to dead alternatives in captivity…
Behaviour and compatibility
Not written yet
Sexual dimorphism
Not written yet
Reproduction
A paternal mouthbrooder that is typically bred in outdoor pools for commercial purposes.
Notes
This species is distinguished from its Australian congeners S. jardinii and S. leichardti by possessing a lower number of lateral line scales (21-26 vs 32-36),…
References
References
6 on this profile