ARAWANA

The Arawana (Osteoglossum bicirrhosum) is a silvery, almost eel looking, fish that is a highly specialized surface feeder. Arawanas cruise the shallow water, their head and eyes positioned upwards (see image at left) as they gaze for insects, small birds, lizards and frogs. They prowl below trees, especially beneath overhanging branches, ready to leap some six feet out of the water to pick off unsuspecting insects, reptiles and birds that might have crawled to the tip of a branch. Because of these aerial acrobatic maneuvers beneath the jungle canopy, these fish have been referred to as "water monkeys". Arawanas have been rumored to capture prey as large as low flying bats and small birds. The Arawana typically grows to around 3 to 4 feet. This species, called an osteoglossid, exhibit parental care. They build nests and protect the young after they hatch. Some species are mouth brooders, the parents holding sometimes hundreds of eggs and fry in their mouths. The young may make several tentative trips outside the parent's mouth to investigate their surroundings before leaving permanently. These fish are typically taken on smaller topwater plugs, such as walking stick baits and poppers, however they have been caught on just about every lure in the tackle box of the peacock bass angler.