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Others
/ Osteoglossidae / Australian Arowana
Silver Barramundi, Northern Barramundi, Australian Arowana
Scleropages jardini | Pictures
Synonyms: None
Physical description:
The Silver Barramundi is similar in body shape
S. leicharati.
The back is brown- silver, while
the flanks are silver.
The frontal region of each scale is gray, while the rear part is silver to orange.
This
species develops an orange cast with age.
The fins are dark gray with various orange spots.
Size/Length: To 32" (81 cm) in nature, although usually not larger than 24" (61 cm) in captivity.
Similar species: Scleropages
formosus, S. leicharati
Habitat: Australia, Papua New Guinea
S: top
Aquarium: A tank measuring 48" (122 cm) or 55 gallons (209 L) is minimum for young individuals.
They
will quickly out-grow an aquarium of this size!
Follow suggestions for
O. bicirrhosum.
Water chemistry: pH 6.8-7.8 (7.5), 8-16 dH (12), 75-86°F (24-30°C)
Social behavior: This large, predatory species is aggressive towards its own and similar species.
Combine
only with other robust, large species.
Suggested companions: Larger rainbowfish, large Tinfoil Barbs, Clown Knife, Giant Gourami, Cichlids,
Arius catfish,
Bagrid catfish, Pimelodid catfish.
FOOD: Live; fish, spiders, large flying insects,
Tubifex; may accept pellets and flakes
Sexual differences: The males have a longer anal fin and are distinguishable by their prognathous jaws.
The
females are usually fatter when mature.
Breeding techniques:
This species has been bred on a few isolated occasions in captivity.
The female lays 50-200 eggs which are
0.4-0.5" (1-1.3 cm) in diameter.
These hatch in 18-30 days and are incubated in the mouth of the male.
The young begin feeding on small crustaceans
and microorganisms.
Breeding potential: 10.
S. jardini
has been bred with irregularity in captivity.
Breeding is not possible in most tanks due to
the size requirement of this species.
Remarks: The validity of this species in in doubt.
There is debate to whether
S. jardini
and S. leicharati
should be considered separate species or just different morphs of the same species.
Difficulty of care: 8.
This large species requires live foods and a well-maintained tank.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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