brEediNg pRoceSs

Breeding Arowana is an ongoing process there are no specific seasons when the fish breed, however, there are times of year when breeding occurs more regularly.
There is no external way to sex an Arowana, until recently all breeding was done by educated/experienced guess work placing 30 selected fish into a pond and leaving them to their own devices. Characteristically these ponds are approximately 15m by 20m with a mud or silt floor.Over time, females will lay eggs on the floor of the pond and a male will pass over fertilising them. Following the fertilisation the eggs are collected into the mouth of the male, where they will develop for 4-6 weeks before being released as young fry into the pond.
The pond manager will maintain a constant vigil to identify the presence of "Mouth Brooding" male fish, and when he feels there is enough justification, will call a harvest.
The fish are driven in a large net to the edge of the pond where they can be caught and identified more easily.The breeder will then identify mouth brooding males and collect them in a net.
A quick peek into the mouth will allow him to identify if the fry are old enough to be released. they are the male must be scanned to identify the microchip number of the parent, the fry are released into a net and collected.The vetinary authorities watch this process and count the exact number of fry that are harvested. This is then checked against the number of microchips required when the fish reach 4 inches.The fry are placed into special tanks which simulate the water flowing in the mouth of the adult. Here they are left to develop until large enough to swim freely.Once the fish reach 4 inches they are ready to be microchipped, and only once microchipped are they able to be transported.