I. Morphological characteristics of red arowana
Although it is called red dragon fish, the scales of red dragon fish in juveniles are silver and slightly dark green; the scale frame is pink, the lips and whiskers are slightly red, and the rear three fins are uniform red. The adult red arowana is about 60cm long, with golden yellow body, golden red scales, dark red mouth, fins and operculum, with an attractive red light as a whole. The distinctive red patches on the operculum are the most distinctive features of the red dragonfish.
Red arowana is divided into two types: No. 1 red arowana and No. 2 red arowana according to the origin. No. 1 red arowana is red in color, and can also be subdivided into blood red arowana and chili red arowana. Chili red dragon fish is the best among red dragon fish, and its gill cover and scale frame are all red. The color of No. 2 red arowana is mostly orange-red. Although its appearance is very similar to that of No. 1 red arowana, if you look closely, you can find that there are special red patches on the gill cover of No. 1 red arowana. The blocks are larger and darker, while Red Arowana No. 2 has no such blocks.
2. Color changes of red arowana
1. Adult red The color of the dragon fish will appear in segments with the increase of age. The color of the blood red dragon fish usually appears earlier, and the color of the chili red dragon appears relatively later. At the same time, the color of the red arowana will change with the change of the environment, so the lights and the colors around the aquarium have an attractive effect on the arowana. Usually, the red light and dark background can be used to lure the red arowana. color.
2. The water temperature of 26℃～30℃ is relatively suitable for the deposition of red arowana pigment, and the weak acidity and stable pH value are also beneficial to help the red arowana to develop its color.
3. In the aquarium where the red arowana is raised, you can add some local raw water in an appropriate amount and put some dried leaves in it to stimulate the red arowana’s hair color. In addition, you can also add some astaxanthin and carotene to the blood arowana, which is beneficial to stimulate the red pigment in its scales. However, in the juvenile and sub-adult stages of Chili Red Arowana, be careful not to feed it with plant lights and food with a coloring effect, because this will cause the background color of the Arowana to become darker, and wait until the green background of its body deepens. Then, feed it some color-enhancing foods such as astaxanthin to induce the red dragon fish to turn red.
4. When buying red dragonfish, pay special attention to whether its tail, dorsal and pelvic fins are red, and its pectoral fins should be light red; Glossy, glossy scales; tentacles and lips red or pink, such red fish are of relatively high quality.
