At a glance the quick version
Seriously Fish lists 80 cm standard length and FishBase 90 cm total length; Wikipedia mentions reports of up to 1.2 m.
Looks how to spot one
Long, flattened body covered in very large, shiny scales
A sleek, blade-shaped fish with big mirror-like silver scales, an upturned mouth and two barbels at the tip of the lower jaw. The back and belly fins run far back and blend into the tail. Young fish show blue tones with yellow-orange markings before turning silver.12
Personality what they are like
Peaceful with fish too large to swallow and can live with carefully chosen big tankmates such as large catfish and similar-sized Cichla. Other surface-dwelling fish are best avoided unless the tank is huge.3
Daily activity how busy a day looks
An active surface swimmer that cruises just under the waterline watching for prey, and can leap well clear of the water to snatch insects and other food.21
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
A heavy, tight-fitting lid is essential because it jumps powerfully. It needs a lot of open swimming room near the surface; Seriously Fish says it suits only public aquariums or the very largest home tanks.3
Home where they are happiest
A very large, long tropical freshwater aquarium. Seriously Fish gives 20-30 °C, pH 5.0-7.5 and 2-15 dGH; FishBase gives 24-30 °C. Keep the water surface open and the decor simple.31
Food basics what goes in the bowl
A predator. In the wild it eats insects, spiders, snails, crustaceans and small fish. In captivity offer varied meaty foods such as earthworms, prawns, mussels, fish strips and crickets rather than mammal or bird meat.23
Company who they like around
Can be kept with others of its kind, but in a limited space a pecking order develops, so most keepers house one with suitable large tankmates.3
The story where it all began
Cuvier described the silver arowana in 1829. It belongs to the bonytongue family, a very old group dating back to the Jurassic. It is an important food fish in the Amazon and became popular with aquarists as a legal alternative to the protected Asian arowana.132
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
It is nicknamed the 'water monkey' because it leaps out of the water to grab insects and other food from branches.2
- 2
The male carries the eggs and then the young fish in his mouth for several weeks.1
- 3
Its big armour-like scales led to the name 'dragon fish', after dragons in East Asian folklore.2
- 4
Its family, the bonytongues, goes back to the Jurassic period, around 150 million years ago.3
- 5
It can cope with low-oxygen water, which helps it in seasonally flooded forests.1
Recognised by the official bits
- FishBase
- Described by Cuvier in 1829; family Osteoglossidae (bonytongues).1
- IUCN Red List (via FishBase)
- Least Concern (assessed 2020). Not listed on CITES.1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Silver Arowana. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Feedingevery day
- Water changeAbout 30 to 50% of the waterevery week
- Water testevery week
- Filter rinseevery 2 weeks
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, Arawana - FishBase fishbase.seused for origin, taxonomy, IUCN status, size, weight, appearance, temperature, breeding, fun facts
- Silver arowana - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.orgused for other names, distribution, size, behaviour, diet, history, fun facts
- Osteoglossum bicirrhosum - Seriously Fish seriouslyfish.comused for tank, water parameters, diet, compatibility, lid, group keeping, history
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.