Do you know which ornamental fish has the longest lifespan? Which species of ornamental fish has the longest lifespan? Below I have compiled some knowledge about the longest-lived ornamental fish for you. Welcome to read.

Which ornamental fish has the longest lifespan: Arowana

Osteoglossidae is an ancient freshwater fish species with barbels on the lower jaw, flat sides and ribs on the abdomen. Glossifishes are widely distributed in tropical and subtropical areas of South America, Australia, and Southeast Asia. Because its body shape is long and bearded, it resembles the dragon in Chinese mythology, so it is commonly known as the dragon fish. It is a very popular ornamental fish in Southeast Asia. Arowana has a ferocious character and feeds on small fish, frogs and insects. The living water temperature needs to be high, especially during the breeding period, which needs to be maintained at 27-28°C. The parent fish will hold the eggs in their mouths to hatch them.

Introduction to Arowana

Osteoglossidae is a type of ancient large freshwater fish that dates back to the ancient carboniferous period more than 300 million years ago. It has existed since time immemorial. Later, with the movement of the earth's crust, they gradually dispersed to various continents in the world. Now they are widely distributed, and their traces can be found in Asia, South America, Australia and Africa. Because of its majestic appearance, long and bearded body, and metallic scales, it is good at jumping out of the water to catch small insects. It resembles the dragon in Chinese mythology, so it is commonly known as the dragon fish.

In 1829, in the Amazon Basin of South America, Dr. Vandell, an American ichthyologist, discovered this type of fish and named it "Osteoglossidae". In 1933, French ichthyologist Dr. Belugalon discovered a red species of the same family in Saigon, Vietnam. In 1966, French ichthyologists Blanc and Dobarton discovered another species of Osteoglossidae in Phnom Penh. After that, experts and scholars from some countries successively discovered many Osteoglossidae species in Vietnam, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Banga Island, Borneo, Thailand, and even Australia and Africa in Indonesia, so they were classified according to region and Different appearances and colors subdivide the Osteoglossidae into more than ten different species. The introduction of arowana as an ornamental fish into aquariums began in the United States in the late 1950s, and it was not until the 1980s that it gradually became popular around the world.

In fact, the ancient Chinese have already recorded about the dragon fish. According to "The Classic of Mountains and Seas·Overseas Western Classic": "The mausoleum of the dragon fish lives in the north and looks like a raccoon dog. It is called the fish segment. It is sacred. Take this to travel through the nine fields." It can be seen that as early as the Qin and Han Dynasties, ancient Chinese had discovered this fish species in the East China Sea and the South China Sea and named it.

Living habits of Arowana

Fish in the family Osteoglossidae are tropical narrow-temperature fish that live in the upper waters and have very high requirements for the water quality of their living environment. They have strong aggression and territorial awareness. In artificial breeding, care should be taken to avoid mixed breeding of the same species. Suitable temperature: 24~29℃ is acceptable. If the fish adapts well, it can even accept a temperature of 22~31℃. However, artificially raised arowanas, like other ornamental fish, must avoid rapid changes in water temperature.

The vast majority of Osteoglossidae fish are carnivorous fish. From juveniles to adults, they will prey on animal foods, mainly small fish, shrimps, and insects, but there are exceptions. , such as: Nile arowana, is an omnivorous filter feeder. In artificial breeding, it is best to feed live animal feeds that are as close to their natural environment as possible, such as fresh small fish or minced shrimp meat, and intermittent feeding of insect feeds. Animal offal can easily damage the digestive system and should not be fed. If you want to feed artificial compound feeds, you should mostly choose floating feeds to prevent fish from losing their eyes. In addition, it should be noted that fish, like humans, need various nutrients. They cannot feed one kind of bait. A nutritious menu should be formulated to ensure its nutritional balance.

The reproduction method is oviparous. In the natural environment, the female fish lays eggs and the male fish holds them in her mouth until the young fish hatch. Arowana is a famous "longevity fish" among fishes. It can generally live for about 30 years, and the longest lifespan can be more than 40 years. Young fish can reach maturity at about 2 to 3 years old. Different types of arowana have different characteristics. color.

And as the fish grows older, the color of its scales will become more shiny and thicker. It is a type of tropical fish with extremely high ornamental value.

Classification of Arowana species

Osteoglossidae is divided into 4 genera:

1. Brazilian Osteoglossus

2 , Allognathus

Osteochus Nile: Also known as African arowana, it is distributed in the middle and upper reaches of the Nile River Basin and in Africa. It feeds on plankton and has a body shape similar to that of arowana. Similar, but without the beard and therefore less popular.

3. Osteoglossus

Two-bearded Osteoglossus: also known as silver arowana.

Osteoglossus fishermen: Also known as black arowana, it is basically similar to silver arowana. It is produced in South America, but the young fish are black with white stripes. When they grow up, the color gradually falls off. Become similar to silver arowana.

4. Osteoglossus

Beautiful Osteoglossus: Also known as golden arowana and Asian arowana, it is native to Southeast Asia. It is golden in color and is not as long as silver arowana. It also has five layers of scales, similar to gold bars, and is very popular among Chinese businessmen, mainly for its auspiciousness. In addition, there are several variants of Arowana with different colors - "Red Arowana", "Green Arowana", "Yellow Tail Arowana", etc. The Arowana series is close to extinction and is a protected species.

Joe's teleost: Also known as the pearl arowana, it is distributed in northern Australia and New Guinea. It is different from the silver arowana in that it has seven rows of scales. The edges of the scales are different in color from the inside, just like the body. Each little pearl shines.

Australian teleost: Also known as the star-spotted pearl arowana, it is basically similar to the pearl arowana, but has round red spots on its scales. It is also produced in Australia.