Spotted saratoga

Scleropages leichardti

Also known as Leichardti arowana, Southern saratoga

FreshwaterFish

Spotted saratoga (Scleropages leichardti) — Viktor Kravtchenko · CC BY 3.0

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–82°F (20–28°C)
pH: 6.2–7.8
Adult size: 35.4 in (90 cm)
Minimum tank: 396 gal (1,500 L)
Temperament: Aggressive
Social behavior: Solitary
Tankmates: Tankmates with caution
Swim level: Top
Difficulty: Difficult
Breeding: No record
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Fitzroy basin, Queensland, Australia
Family: Osteoglossidae

Overview

This is an Australian arowana, a large, aggressive surface predator that must be kept singly in a very big tank with a heavy, tightly fitting lid, because it is a strong jumper. Treat any tankmate with caution: it will eat fish it can swallow and often fights others of its own kind, so most keepers house it alone. It patrols the top of the water and needs length to turn, plus oversized filtration and strong oxygenation. Feed meaty foods such as prawn, earthworms, and pieces of fish. This is a decades-long commitment to a fish reaching around 90 centimeters, so plan on 1500 liters or more.

In the wild

The spotted saratoga is native to the Fitzroy river system in Queensland, Australia, cruising the surface of slow rivers and still pools. It suits a large tank with open surface water, some floating or overhanging cover, and calm, clean conditions. It tolerates a fairly wide range, from 20 to 28 C at a pH of 6.2 to 7.8, with big, redundant filtration and steady water changes to match its size and appetite.

Good to know

Scleropages leichardti belongs to Osteoglossidae, the bonytongues, an ancient lineage of large freshwater fish, and it grows to around 90 centimeters. The male is a mouthbrooder, holding the pea-sized eggs and then the young in his mouth for weeks. It is essentially not bred in home aquaria, so captive spawning of this fish is unrecorded outside very large, specialised systems.

Did you know

Its family rode the break-up of the ancient supercontinent Gondwana, which is why closely related bonytongues now live in South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The saratoga is a living piece of that deep history.