Asian Bonytongue
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| 'Asian Bonytongue or Dragon Fish' | ||||||||||||||||
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| Schleropages formosus ( Schlegel & Müller ), 1844 |
The Asian Bonytongue or Asian Arowana (Scleropages formosus) is a species of freshwater fish from Southeast Asia commonly known as the Dragon Fish by fish enthusiasts (though this name is also used of many other unrelated species of fish). They are called dragon fish because of their resemblance to the mythical dragon.
The Asian Bonytongue is native to the rivers of Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Myanmar. It is a mouthbrooder. These fish come in various strains i.e Super Red / 1st Grade Red (Indonesia), Red Tail Golden (Indonesia), Bandjar Red / 2nd. Grade Red (Indonesia), Crossback Malaysian Golden (Malaysia) and Green (Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Myanmar). Today these are raised in farms by fish farmers.
In the wild, the Asian Bonytongue is endangered. As food, it commands a moderate price, but it is much more highly valued as an aquarium fish: people who believe in luck and prosperity pay thousands of dollars for one of these prized fishes. International trade in these fish is controller under the CITES conventions.
Perhaps the most beautiful variety of Golden Arowana is the Crossback Malaysian Golden. It originated from the "Bukit Merah" river system in Perak, Malaysia. It may have various base colours depending on the locality i.e Blue-based, Gold-based, Green-based, Green and Blue-based (Turquoise) and Purple-based. The highest grade of Crossback Malaysian Golden is the Full Gold Crossback (frameless gold) that originated from the "Sungai Gedong" river system.