new species of Asian arowana

Chlidonias

Chlidonias

Moderator
Staff member
15+ year member
I just saw this and though it was interesting. See the link for a photo of the new fish; very attractive.
Stunning new species of arowana | News | Practical Fishkeeping
A new species of Asian arowana thought to be from the Thanintharyi (Tenasserim) River drainage in the extreme south of Myanmar has been described.

The new fish was named by ichthyologist Tyson Roberts in the most recent issue of the journal Aqua, International Journal of Ichthyology.

The new arowana is known as Scleropages inscriptus, and is distinguished from other members of the genus in having a distinctive pattern of wavy lines on the scales and facial bones, making it one of the most attractive species of Asian arowana known.

This is the first time that the presence of Scleropages has been recorded from Myanmar, although aquarists in Thailand have been aware of the existence of this fish for about ten years now. The exact locality where the fish has been collected is unclear, as it is only known to aquarium fish exporters in Meik and Yangon.

Interestingly, Roberts records that sufficient individuals of S. inscriptus have been photographed for it to be noted that the maze-like markings on the head and body are never the same in any two individuals.

Based on overall morphology, measurements and counts, the new species is hypothesised to be most closely related to the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus).

For more information, see the paper: Roberts, TR (2012) Scleropages inscriptus, a new fish species from the Tananthayi or Tenasserim River basin, Malay Peninsula of Myanmar (Osteoglossidae: Osteoglossiformes). Aqua, International Journal of ichthyology 18, pp. 113–118.
Click to expand...
 
Good man! Thanks for pointing that one out. Another arowana species ... makes one wonder re potential for (even) further diversity in the genus within the region??? :)
 
Lets hope they don't end up in the same state as S.formosus in the wild.

:p

Hix
 
It's gorgeous. Which, sadly, also means they're likely to become endangered soon. Arowanas are auspicious status symbols amongst the rich Chinese, who have the money and means to wipe out the wild population. Hopefully captive breeding can be established quickly to satisfy demand.
 
just been doing some googling about this fish. It seems it's been around in the trade for quite a while (mainly in southeast Asia), especially over the last five years, and is known as the batik or batik green arowana (for the scribble markings). There seems to be some dispute amongst the fish-keeper groups as to whether it's the same as the nami green arowana from Malaysia, and hence the names are used interchangeably and there's lots of arguments on the fish forums (most private fish keepers don't really understand taxonomy ;)).
 
Chlidonias said:
just been doing some googling about this fish. It seems it's been around in the trade for quite a while (mainly in southeast Asia), especially over the last five years, and is known as the batik or batik green arowana (for the scribble markings). There seems to be some dispute amongst the fish-keeper groups as to whether it's the same as the nami green arowana from Malaysia, and hence the names are used interchangeably and there's lots of arguments on the fish forums (most private fish keepers don't really understand taxonomy ;)).
Click to expand...

Hence, private fish keeping should call for some form of self-regulation!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top