virtually unknown in the West, but it is beloved in Far Eastern cultures. With shining metallic scales, flowing wing-like pectoral fins, and a long flexible body, this freshwater fish bears a striking resemblance to the iconic Chinese dragon. Prized in Asia as aquarium specimens, Asian arowanas are also notable for being endangered, listed on CITES Appendix I. The geological record shows them to be living fossils, virtually unchanged since they appeared about 140 million years ago, during the heydey of the dinosaurs.
