African arowana

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African arowana

Data deficient

Scientific classification

Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Osteoglossiformes
Family:	Osteoglossidae
Subfamily:	Heterotidinae
Genus:	Heterotis
Species:	H. niloticus

Binomial name

Heterotis niloticus
(Cuvier, 1829)

The African arowana, Heterotis niloticus, is one of seven members of the arowana family. Despite being called an "Arowana", the African arowana is more closely related to Arapaima gigas, the only other member in the subfamily Heterotidinae. The only plankton-feeding osteoglossid, the African arowana has a more terminal mouth than other species of arowana (Osteoglossum and Scleropages). Rarely imported for the home aquarium, in captivity it is known to be willing to accept dry, floating pellets on a regular basis and, in fact, sometimes does not consume live goldfish.

[edit] Description

Like the other Osteoglossids, the African arowana is a long-bodied fish with large scales, long dorsal and anal fins set far back on the body, and a rounded caudal fin. Its height is 3.5 to 5 times Standard Length (SL). It has been reported to reach up to 100 cm (39 in) SL and weigh up to 10.2 kg (22 lb).

This fish is gray, brown, or bronze in color. Coloration is uniform in adults, but juveniles often have dark longitudinal bands.

African arowanas have air-breathing organs on its branchiae, enabling them to survive in oxygen-depleted water. A suprabranchial organ allows it to concentrate small planktonic food particles and also has a sensory function.

[edit] Range

This species is widespread throughout Africa, where it is native to all the watersheds in Sahelo-Sudanese region, Senegal, and Gambia as well as parts of eastern Africa. This range includes the basins of the Corubal, Volta, Ouémé, Niger, Bénoué, and Nile Rivers as well as those of Lake Chad and Lake Turkana. It has been successfully introduced to Côte d'Ivoire, the Cross River in Nigeria, the Sanaga and Nyong rivers in Cameroon, and Ogooué River in Gabon, as well as the lower and middle Congo River basin, including Ubangui and Kasaï Rivers. It has also been introduced in Madagascar. In some cases, introduction is reported to have had a negative impact on the local ecology.