Golden
Strain
Golden arowana is a gold color strain of the Asian arowana, an endangered fish. It is Scleropages formosus, the same species as the super red and green strains, selected for metallic gold scales. Traders sort it into types such as crossback golden, where the gold runs over the back, and red tail golden, which shows less gold up top and orange to red in the fins. A 2003 paper named the red tail golden from Sumatra's Siak River as a separate species, Scleropages aureus, but most references still treat all of these colors as one species. Young fish show less gold than adults, so color at sale is partly a forecast.
Before price or grade, check the law. In the United States the Asian arowana has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1976, so a golden arowana cannot be imported or sold across state lines, whatever its farm papers say. Elsewhere, commercial international trade runs under CITES Appendix I and is limited to fish bred on CITES-registered farms, each with permits and a microchip. A legally kept golden needs a large covered tank, warm stable water, strong filtration and a meaty diet.
Colors: Gold, Red Gold
