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An adult Asian arowana grows to a length of about three feet. Their pectoral fins are large and elongated, spreading out like wings. The mouth gapes wide, allowing the animal to swallow large prey, and the scales are very large, up to about an inch in diameter. The body is elongated and muscular, making this fish a powerful jumper.
Asian arowanas are scattered among the mainland and tropical archipelago of the Southeast Asia, including Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. They are obligate freshwater fish that cannot travel between islands, so the populations on each island and the mainland population are isolated from each other. Each of these populations has a unique appearance:
- The super red arowana has bright red metallic scales on its sides, red fins, and a red tail, but is dark brown as seen from above.
- The red-tailed golden (RTG) arowana has brilliant gold metallic scales on its sides, red fins, and a red tail, but is dark from above like the super red arowana.
- The golden crossback arowana has gold metallic scales and a striking bright metallic gold pattern on its back, which is created by the golden color on the scale edges.
Other strains include the silver Asian arowana and green arowana.
Above left: Super red arowana.
