All About The Dragon Fish
The red arowana is one of the most beautiful – and most expensive – fish a person can have in an aquarium. This fish is highly prized for its distinctive red coloring, and for its perceived luck and energy-giving properties. In fact, the Chinese call it the “dragon fish”, as its scales and color evoke the image of the Chinese dragon. There is a variety of this fish available, such as the red-tailed golden, chili red, super red, and blood-red arowanas. This variety is not caused just by a change in color shade, but also due to differences in other physical features such as body shape and size, and fin sizes.
While arowanas can also be found in South America, Africa, and Australia, the colorful varieties can only be naturally found in Southeast Asia. Green arowanas are the most common throughout the area, while red arowana are only found on the islands of Sumatra and Borneo. The destruction of their habitat along with the high demand for specimens from collectors has had a negative impact on the numbers of these fish in the wild. As such, these fish are extremely rare and are now considered a protected species. Since it has proven difficult to get these fish from the wild, endangered Asian arowanas are being bred in fish farms. This allows the conservation of the species, while at the same time providing a supply of these rare fish for collectors.
Asian arowanas, like all other arowanas, are carnivorous. Captive arowanas must be fed a steady diet of fish and shrimp, and even pork, to keep them in good health. It is also advised to keep captive arowana separate when placed in small tanks as the fish are generally highly territorial. With proper care and maintenance, having a red arowana or two at home can be a rewarding experience.
