The silver arowana, Osteoglossum bicirrhosum, sometimes spelled arawana.

It is a freshwater boney fish of the family Osteoglossidae, commonly kept in captive.

The term "Osteoglossum" means "bone-tongued" and "bicirrhosum" means "two barbels" (from the Greek Language).

This species is found in the Amazon River basin and in the Rupununi and Oyapock Rivers in South America  as well as in still waters in Guyana.

This fish has relatively large scales, a long body, and a tapered tail, with the dorsal and anal fins extending all the way to the small caudal fin, with which they are nearly fused. It can grow to a maximum size of around 1 m (39 inches) in captivity. In the wild, it has been known to reach over 1.2 m (47 inches) in length. The juveniles are usually a dull silver color with black markings around the head and the tail. Once they reach about 15 cm (6 inches), the markings will disappear and they will start to obtain the silvery color that gives them their common name.

The species is also called monkey fish because it of its ability to jump out of the water and capture its prey. It usually swims near the water surface waiting for potential prey. Although specimens have been found with the remains of birds, bats, and snakes in their stomachs, its main diet consist of crustaceans, insects, smaller fishes and other animals that float on the water surface, for which its draw-bridge-like mouth is exclusively adapted for feeding.

Arowanas are sometimes called Dragon Fish by aquarists because their shiny armor-like scales and double barbels are reminiscent of descriptions of dragons in Asian folklore.