Also known as
- Silver Aruana US
- Green Arowana US
- Dragon Fish US
- Water Monkey US
- Arawana US
Identification
A large, elongated freshwater surface predator with a laterally compressed oval build engineered for explosive jumping strikes. Delivers acrobatic aerial fights and sustained hard runs for its size. Iridescent colouring deepens with age.
- Very large ornate bony scales with pearly silver colouration
- Iridescent reds, blues, and greens developing with age
- Two whiskers extending from the tip of the lower jaw
- Huge upward-facing oblique mouth adapted for surface feeding
- Dorsal and anal fins positioned far back, nearly fused with the tail
Where it holds
- Rivers
- Flooded Forests
- Lakes
Behaviour
Solitary surface-oriented predators that patrol just below the surface waiting for prey overhead. Exceptional leapers — capable of jumping clear of the water to pick prey off low-hanging branches. Opportunistic carnivores taking baitfish, large insects, frogs, and small vertebrates near the surface. Feeds several times a day when prey is available. Gaze upward to spot prey then launch explosive upward strikes. Wandering schools form when cruising river systems in search of baitfish.
Diet: Baitfish, Crickets, Grasshoppers, Frogs, Small Mammals
How it's caught
Fly Fishing
Streamer
Sight-cast small baitfish streamers or terrestrial patterns to visible fish cruising just below the surface. Strip in short slow increments — false-casting and fast retrieves kill the take. Strip-set hard to drive the hook through the bony mouth; expect repeated aerial leaps.
Line Fishing
Spinning
Sight-cast small topwater plugs and soft plastics to visible cruising schools in slow water and oxbow lakes. Retrieve with slow short strips — aggressive action spooks wary fish. Hook-set hard to penetrate the bony jaw and expect explosive aerial fights on the initial runs.
Float Fishing
Suspend live crickets, grasshoppers, or a small baitfish under a light float tight to overhanging vegetation and along the edge of flooded forest. The target zone is the top 30cm — anything deeper is ignored. Be ready for an explosive surface take.
