Caring for and Appreciating Dragon Fish

Author: Liu Hongsheng / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: Arowana, also known as Dragon Fish or Silver Band, lives in freshwater habitats across Asia, America, Oceania, and Africa. Belonging to the class Osteichthyes, subclass Actinopterygii, infraclass Teleostei, order Osteoglossiformes, and family Osteoglossidae, Arowana is called "Arowana" in its native origin, which means "long-tongued" in Spanish. Arowana is an ancient fish species, referred to as a "living fossil." This fish has existed on Earth for at least 300 million years, with its family already active in the waters of Gondwana 345 million years ago. As Gondwana split and drifted, the Arowana family also fragmented, spreading across the freshwater waters of the current Americas, Asia, Oceania, and Africa. Due to regional differences, Arowana exhibits some morphological variations, but its common features are strikingly distinct, such as its massive scales and head structure, which have remained largely unchanged over hundreds of millions of years. Moreover, the aquatic environments where Arowana lives across different continents are also similar. The reason Arowana is called a "living fossil" is not solely due to its age; in biological classification, it already belongs to the evolved infraclass Teleostei, while most cartilaginous fish are considered more primitive. Its ancient origins lie in the preservation of many anatomical features typical of primitive fish, the most prominent of which is the structure of its mouth. Although ancient, Arowana is not primitive or lowly. On the contrary, it has evolved remarkably well to survive to this day, for example, its mouth-brooding method ensures high survival rates for its offspring. Arowana can accurately judge the position of prey on branches above water and leap out to capture it, indicating a highly developed nervous system. Arowana is divided into four categories based on origin: Asian Arowana, American Arowana, Australian Arowana (native to Australia), and African Arowana. Asian Arowana is found throughout freshwater systems in Southeast Asia, with distributions in Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Thailand, and other regions. Asian Arowana is further divided into Red Arowana, Golden Arowana, Green Arowana, and Red-Tailed Golden Arowana. Among them, Red Arowana is highly popular due to its vibrant colors, which embody the auspicious red favored by Asians. Red Arowana is primarily produced in the western part of Borneo Island, Indonesia, and mostly inhabits the Kapuas River and its tributaries, Sentarum River, in Indonesia. The Kapuas River is located near the equator, with its upper reaches featuring alluvial plains dotted with seasonal lakes, freshwater swamps, and forest wetlands. The water is dark and weakly acidic, mainly due to the presence of tannic acid and a lack of minerals. American Arowana can be divided into Silver Arowana and Black Arowana, both native to the Amazon River basin. Due to the vast primitive forests covering the basin, large amounts of humus flow into the rivers, making the water acidic. Early Silver Arowana was merely a local food fish; it was introduced to the United States in 1935 and Japan in 1955, where it was successfully artificially bred. Australian Arowana is divided into Australian Starlight Arowana and Striped Australian Starlight Arowana. Australian Starlight Arowana is native to the warm and humid eastern coast of Australia, while Striped Australian Starlight Arowana is found in the humid and hot northern part of Australia. African Arowana is distributed in the upper reaches of the Nile River and can be found in rivers of Senegal, Niger, Zambia, and Chad. It typically lives in waters about 1 meter deep, with its distribution range approximately between 18°N and 22°S, a tropical climate zone. Arowana is particularly favored by Asians because countries in Asia, such as China, Japan, and South Korea, have a traditional dragon culture. Especially for the Chinese, who call themselves "descendants of the dragon," dragon culture is ubiquitous, with dragon motifs often seen on buildings, and "Dragon and Phoenix" () is written for auspicious weddings and celebrations. Arowana only entered the aquarium world in the 20th century but quickly became a sensation in the Chinese market. In fact, over 50 years ago, Arowana was still a food source for people in its native regions, as it was believed that Asian Arowana was the reincarnation of ancient auspicious dragons. Arowana's appearance resembles that of a dragon, leading people to deliberately confuse it with the concept of "dragon," viewing it as the reincarnation of a dragon and using it as a "feng shui fish" to ward off evil and protect the home, which has made it deeply loved by people in Asian countries. Due to Asians' preference for red, Indonesian Red Arowana has become highly sought after, leading to overfishing and near extinction. In 1980, the Washington Convention (CITES) listed Red Arowana as a protected endangered species, prohibiting its capture in the wild. This made keeping Arowana as a pet a dream for many. P1-2