Home / Fishes / Arowanas and elephantfish / Southern saratoga
No federal permit to keepSouthern saratoga
Scleropages leichardti
Fishes › Arowanas and elephantfish (Osteoglossiformes) › Osteoglossidae (Arowanas)
The southern saratoga (Scleropages leichardti), also known as the spotted bonytongue, spotted saratoga, or simply saratoga, is a freshwater bony fish native to Australia.
Care at a glance
Species-specific aquarium care
- Tank: At least 132 in long and 42 in front to back for one adult (adults commonly reach about 21.7 in / 55 cm; the largest recorded was 39.4 in).
- Water: Freshwater.
- Temperature: 75–104°F (range recorded for this species).
- Layout: An open-water swimmer: needs long, open swimming space with few obstacles.
- Diet: A predator: feed meaty foods sized to its mouth (frozen fish, shrimp, worms); it will eat tankmates that fit in its mouth. FishBase classes it as a carnivore.
- Availability: Mostly kept by public aquariums; private keeping is uncommon.
Calculated from this species' own FishBase record: tank size from its typical adult length and swimming zone, water values from its recorded ranges. The group guide below fills in general care.
Care guide
Species care notes
- Tank: a base of at least 71 × 24 in (roughly 171 US gallons); space needed is rated “very large tank”.
- Water: a fairly wide range, from slightly acidic to slightly alkaline, pH 6.8–7.5, 8–15 dGH.
- Behaviour: temperament predatory; kept alone.
- Difficulty: Moderate (Seriously Fish rating).
Short excerpts from the species profile:
- Setup: “This species requires a lot of swimming space, and decor is not really critical.”
- Diet: “Many hobbyists feed their aros large quantities of live ' feeder' fish, but there is no real benefit to this and there is always the risk of introducing disease or parasites when feeding live fish.”
- Tankmates: “Will eat smaller fish but is suitable for some communities of larger species, although some individuals won't tolerate any tankmates whatsoever.”
- Breeding: “Infrequently bred in captivity, but is being bred on some Australian fish farms.”
From the Seriously Fish profile for this species, which has the full habitat, maintenance, diet, behaviour and breeding write-up 167
Arowanas
Applies to most species in this group. Habitat: These surface-oriented freshwater predators inhabit tropical slow-moving tributaries, backwaters, swamps and floodplains, including flooded forest used by South American Osteoglossum. Individual species can differ, so compare with the species numbers above and the linked sources.
Housing & setup
- Plan adult housing before purchase: silver arowanas require public installations or exceptionally large private aquaria.
- The published 180 × 60 × 60 cm minimum for Scleropages jardinii is explicitly an absolute bare minimum; adults can approach 90 cm and need ample unobstructed swimming room.
- Fit a heavy, tightly secured cover because both Osteoglossum and Scleropages are powerful jumpers.
- Use strong filtration, high oxygenation and moderate water movement; never introduce silver arowanas to an immature aquarium.
- Provide some floating or overhanging cover while preserving swimming space; for silver arowanas, perform weekly water changes of 30–50%.
Climate & lighting
| Water | 75.2–84.2°F |
Diet
- Whole prawns or shrimp and mussel flesh.
- Earthworms sized to the fish.
- Gut-loaded insects such as crickets or mealworms.
- Fish flesh for adult silver arowanas.
- Suitable floating pellets as part of a varied diet.
Social life
- Usually house one adult per enclosure. S. jardinii is particularly territorial and some individuals tolerate no tankmates. Silver arowanas may accept carefully selected fishes too large to swallow but can fight conspecifics when space is limited.
Health watch
- Eye and gill problems associated with poor conditions, reported for S. jardinii.
- Parasites or infectious disease introduced with live feeder fish.
- Excess fat deposits and organ degeneration from inappropriate mammal or bird meat diets.
Understanding the animal
About this animal
About this animal
It belongs to the subfamily Osteoglossinae, or arowanas, a primitive group of teleosts. Like all arowanas, it is a carnivorous mouthbrooder.
Quoted from the Wikipedia article “Southern saratoga” (CC BY-SA 4.0) 174
In the wild
In the wild
From this species’ own FishBase record (habitat, bottom type, water and breeding data), not its family. Good care copies these conditions.1
| Where it lives | Lives in freshwater, in rivers and streams. Live in still waters and slow-flowing sections of streams. They are usually seen near the surface or near shore among aquatic vegetation. |
| Water it lives in | Freshwater, 75–104 °F (24–40 °C). |
| Climate | Tropical climate. |
| Wild diet | Hunting macrofauna (predator). |
| Behavior to plan for | Breeding: external brooders, maternal parental care. |
What this means for care
- Keep water within its wild range, 75–104 °F.
- Parents guard eggs or young, so expect territorial behavior when breeding.
Native climate (measured)
Native climate (measured)
| Warm-season highs | about 91°F (up to 96°F in the hottest sampled areas) |
| Cool-season lows | about 46°F (down to 43°F in the coldest sampled areas) |
| Average temperature | 67–81°F across sampled records |
| Relative humidity | 57–69% on average (driest month about 55%) |
| Rainfall | about 750 mm a year |
Measured at 46 wild occurrence records sampled against WorldClim 2.1 climate data (1970–2000 averages). Air conditions in the range are ecological context, not enclosure settings: microhabitats such as burrows, leaf litter or basking rocks can be cooler, warmer or more humid.
From the sources
From the sources
Quoted from the matching sections of reputable sources for this exact species. Specialist databases are used first; Wikipedia (community-edited, CC BY-SA 4.0) only fills gaps. Other sources are short credited quotes.
| Overview | The southern saratoga (Scleropages leichardti), also known as the spotted bonytongue, spotted saratoga, or simply saratoga, is a freshwater bony fish native to Australia. It belongs to the subfamily Osteoglossinae, or arowanas, a primitive group of teleosts. Like all arowanas, it is a carnivorous mouthbrooder. Along with the gulf saratoga (Scleropages jardinii), the saratoga is also known as the Australian arowana (mainly by non-Australian aquarists) and barramundi, although the latter name is nowadays reserved in Australia for the only distantly related Lates calcarifer. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Where it lives | Home ranges Population dynamics Growth parameters Max. ages / sizes Length-weight rel. Length-frequencies Mass conversion Recruitment Abundance Life cycle Reproduction Maturity Maturity/Gills rel. — FishBase |
| Reproduction | "Spawning is by direct pairing. For several days prior to the estimated egg-laying time, the pairs were in continuous close company, swimming near the surface. Courting activities include close following, intermittent angled swimming (head down), vent nudging and lifting by the male. — FishBase |
| Appearance and size | Southern saratoga can grow up to 90 cm 4 kg. At sexual maturity, they are usually 48–49 in length. They are primitive, surface-dwelling fish with strongly compressed bodies. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
| Biology | Live in still waters and slow-flowing sections of streams. They are usually seen near the surface or near shore among aquatic vegetation (, 44894 ). Territorial and aggressive towards other fishes, particularly conspecifics. — FishBase |
| Conservation | This species is not currently listed on any CITES appendix. [http://www.cites.org/eng/app/appendices.shtml]. Its IUCN Red List status is Lower Risk/near threatened (LT/nt). Although it does not occur naturally in Indonesia, it is a protected species in that country. — Wikipedia (community-edited) |
Data and studies
The numbers
The numbers
Each bar is what one source reports. Where several sources weigh in, the dashed gold band marks their average.
Adult length
Common length to maximum recorded length. Measured as standard length (snout to the base of the tail, not counting the tail fin). Fish in home aquariums often stay smaller than wild records.
Water temperature
Range the species tolerates in nature; aim for the middle.
pH
Water hardness
Minimum tank footprint
Seriously Fish recommends a tank base of at least 71 × 24 in (about 171 US gallons).
Sources for this sheet
- FishBase (Froese & Pauly, eds.), version 24.07 Peer-reviewed researchThe global scientific database on fishes, maintained by a consortium of research institutions; every value is referenced.
- Seriously Fish species profiles Experienced keeper or breederLong-running aquarium reference written and peer-checked by experienced fishkeepers and ichthyologists; each profile covers habitat, tank size, water, diet, behaviour and breeding.
- Seriously Fish: Osteoglossum bicirrhosum Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Seriously Fish: Scleropages jardinii Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Asian Bonytongue ecological risk screening summary Experienced keeper or breederAdded in the 2026 source-checked care-guide review.
- Wikipedia (species article) Community referenceFree encyclopedia; useful overviews with their own citations. Intro text is quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- iNaturalist (captive observations) Community referenceCommunity observation platform run by the California Academy of Sciences and National Geographic; observations marked captive show animals living in homes, zoos and aquariums.
