Endangered
Asian arowana
Scleropages formosus
The Asian arowana comprises several phenotypic varieties of freshwater fish distributed geographically across Southeast Asia.
Appearance
Asian arowana scales are large, cycloid, and, in some varieties, metallic-coloured, with a distinctive mosaic pattern of raised ribs. The lateral scales are arranged in horizontal rows numbered from the most ventral (first level) to the most dorsal (fifth level), with dorsal scales designated the sixth level. Green arowanas are dark green on the back, silvery or golden green on its sides, and silvery or whitish on the ventral surface, with dark greenish or bluish patches visible through the lateral scales.
Asian arowanas grow up to 90 cm (35 in) total length.
Range and habitat
The Asian arowana comprises several phenotypic varieties of freshwater fish distributed geographically across Southeast Asia. Native to Southeast Asia, Asian arowanas inhabit blackwater rivers, slow-moving waters flowing through forested swamps and wetlands.
Pins are Wikidata “endemic to” fields. Orange dots, when present, are GBIF occurrence tiles — survey bias included.
Diet
Adults feed on other fish, while juveniles feed on insects.
In crisis
This popularity has had both positive and negative effects on their status as endangered species. Asian arowanas are listed as endangered by the current IUCN Red List, with the most recent evaluation taking place in 2019. Other nations restrict or prohibit possession of Asian arowanas. For example, the United States has listed this species under the Endangered Species Act, so it cannot be kept in that country without a permit.
Declining habitat is a major threat. Even so, habitat loss is likely a greater threat than aquarium collecting.
CITES lists this taxon on Appendix I. Confirm the current appendix on the CITES checklist.
Asian arowana is Endangered on this catalog because that is the IUCN category stored on Wikidata. Confirm the official criteria and any later count on iucnredlist.org.
Sources
Written for this catalog from the English Wikipedia article on Asian arowana, Wikidata item Q728584. Family and order context is original field-guide writing about the group, not a copied assessment of this one species. Wikipedia text is CC BY-SA. Not an IUCN assessment. Counts, when quoted, can change — confirm them on the recovery programme and on iucnredlist.org.
