Many fish keep hobbyist have been asking us this question on a regular basis when deciding which arowana to choose.  Often, the question is how to differentiate between a Jardini and a Leichardti.

The Leichardti Arowana (Scleropages leichardti) traits are as follows:

• A straight dorsal profile with their head in line with their back
• The barbels point straight
• Small red spots are on the fins
• Red spots are found in the center of their scales
• There are no patterns on their gill cover
• Color is silver

The Jardini Arowana (Scleropages jardini):

• The dorsal profile has a slight curve and it's head is sloped down
• Barbels are pointed downward
• Fins have around 2-3 large red spots
• Scales have red crescents
• Gill covers have a pattern 
• Color is dark bronze

By far the easiest way to distinguish them is by looking at the gills and seeing if the pattern is present.  It is a little hard to tell the difference between a Jardini and Leichardti just from a glance but once you look very closely, it is rather easy to distinguish the two!  Many experienced Arowana hobbyist claim that the Leichardti is less aggressive in nature compared with the Jardini, which we also find to be true (most of our Leichardtis are quite mild tempered compared to the Jars).

Here are pics of both the Jardini Aro and the Leichardti Aro (Jardini on top, Leichardti on bottom):

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you are looking for more tips and advice on tropical fish keeping.  We are always happy to assist you!  

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-Roger
Pet Zone Tropical Fish in San Diego