Aquarium Reptile Complex (ARC)
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| Scientific Name: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum |
| Description: |
The arowana is a long, carnivorous fish. It is found in the black-water rivers of the Amazon and has a slender, silver body (the adult can reach a length of 4 ½ feet), which is perfect for jumping. This physical adaptation helps make the arowana's behavior unique. Jumps of eight feet high are not difficult tasks for this fish.
One of the interesting ways that the arowana gets its food is to jump up and capture insects and small birds off tree branches that hang over the river. This fish, reportedly, has also been spotted eating small primates and bats off tree branches. With its large mouth, the arowana has no trouble eating other fish as well. An arowana, whose body is also built for quick bursts of speed, will eat just about any fish it can catch. |
| Range: |
| The arowana can be found in the Guianas and most of the Amazon basin. |
| Status in the Wild: |
| Due to deforestation, many animals of the Amazon are in trouble. People cut down trees to use as timber and use the land as grazing space for cattle. This action affects the food chain from the insects that many fish feed on up to the fish themselves. Deforestation also results in increased sediments in the water, which ultimately affects the water quality and fish populations. |
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