Osteoglossum
Genus of fishes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Osteoglossum is a genus of fish in the family Osteoglossidae. They reach about 1 m (3.3 ft) in length and are restricted to freshwater habitats in tropical South America.[1][2]
| South American Arowanas | |
|---|---|
| |
| Osteoglossum bicirrhosum | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Osteoglossiformes |
| Family: | Osteoglossidae |
| Genus: | Osteoglossum Cuvier, 1829 |
| Species | |
|
2, see text | |
 | |
These predators mostly feed on arthropods like insects and spiders, but may also take small vertebrates such as other fish, frogs, lizards, snakes, mice, bats and small birds.[3][4] They jump up to 2 m (6.6 ft) out of the water to pick the prey off branches, tree trunks or foliage, which has earned them the local name "water monkeys".[3] They are the largest fish in the world that catch most of their food out of water.[3] When breeding, the male protects the eggs and young by carrying them in the mouth.[1][5]
They are sometimes kept in aquariums, but they are predatory and require a very large tank.[5]
Species
There are two species:[2]
| Image | Scientific name | Common name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|---|
| Osteoglossum bicirrhosum Cuvier (ex Vandelli), 1829 | Silver arowana | Amazon, Essequibo and Oyapock basins |
 | Osteoglossum ferreirai Kanazawa, 1966 | Black arowana | Rio Negro basin, including the Branco River |
