Where Is Arowana Fish from?

Tell us about the arowana—aka the dragon fish—and why it has become so valuable. The Asian arowana is the world's most expensive aquarium fish. It is a tropical freshwater fish from Southeast Asia that grows three feet long in the wild. That's roughly the size of a snowshoe.

Where are arowana found?

Arowanas are native to the Amazon drainage system and the western Orinoco, Rupununi and Essequibo systems of the Guianas. They live in both the whitewater and blackwater floodplains of the Amazon. In both types of water, they are most abundant in the flooded areas.

Why arowana is banned in US?

Protected by the Endangered Species Act, the Asian arowana is nearly depleted from the wild. In 1975, 183 countries signed a treaty classifying it as a rare species and banning the fish from international trade. To this day, it cannot legally be brought into the United States.