Conservation of the Asian Arawana

Nov

The Asian Arawana, Scleropages formosus, is endangered, mainly due to habitat destruction. It is listed under CITES Appendix 1, which means that trading this species across national boundaries is illegal unless the individual fish are captive bred. The Asian Arawana is captive bred in Kalimantan, Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.

Unfortunately, it is also illegally wild caught in various places in Southeast Asia. Captive breeding, poaching, and smuggling are all encouraged by the high prices these fish bring.

Captive bred fish from Singapore usually come with an embedded microchip to prove that they are captive bred and prevent theft. Asian Arawanas are selectively bred for color, especially red or gold variations. There is a tradition in China that this fish, especially if red or golden, brings good luck to its owner. This is one reason for the fish’s popularity and high price.

Because of the prices these fish sell for, farming this species is quite lucrative and has been described as a ‘gold rush’ on the Arowana club website. A very good specimen may be worth tens of thousands of dollars.

Because Asian Arawanas are so expensive, they are sometimes smuggled. This means that if you are looking to buy one, you should check its papers and that it has an identifying microchip. It is all too easy to find stories about Arowanas being confiscated by customs officials, whether in boxes under legal items, or inside a dress being worn at the time. Problems you just don’t get with Neon Tetras…