Green
Strain
Green arowana is the green color form of the Asian arowana, an endangered fish. It is Scleropages formosus with silvery green to olive scales and a darker back, without the deep red or metallic gold that farms select for in the super red and golden strains. When Pouyaud and colleagues proposed in 2003 that the color forms were separate species, they kept the name Scleropages formosus for the green form. Most references have not adopted that split and still treat every color as one species, which can reach about 90 cm.
A plainer color does not mean looser rules. In the United States the Asian arowana has been listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act since 1976, so a green arowana cannot be imported or sold across state lines. 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 green needs a large covered tank, warm stable water, strong filtration and a meaty diet. Judge a young fish on clear eyes, intact barbels, straight swimming and its paperwork, not on color alone.
Colors: Dark Green, Golden Green, Light Green
