Chitala lopis
Image: museum specimen
The giant featherback (Chitala lopis) is a knife-backed predatory freshwater fish of Java, Sumatra and Borneo, and South Sumatra's identity animal.
PANDUANHEWAN · INDONESIA
Giant featherback vs Asian arowana: the differences
How do the Giant featherback (Chitala lopis) and Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) differ? Classification, features, range, diet, size, IUCN status and legal protection, from cited sources.
The giant featherback (Chitala lopis) and the Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) share the order Osteoglossiformes but belong to different families: Notopteridae and Osteoglossidae. Range in Indonesia — the giant featherback: Java, Sumatra and Borneo; the Asian arowana: Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan), especially West Kalimantan.
Scleropages formosus
The Asian arowana (Scleropages formosus) is a large-scaled freshwater fish of Sumatra and Borneo, a costly ornamental fish with threatened wild populations.
Giant featherback and Asian arowana compared
| Aspect | Giant featherback | Asian arowana |
|---|---|---|
| Scientific name | Chitala lopis | Scleropages formosus |
| Indonesian name | Ikan belida | Arwana asia |
| Class | Actinopterygii | Actinopterygii |
| Order | Osteoglossiformes | Osteoglossiformes |
| Family | Notopteridae | Osteoglossidae |
| Range in Indonesia | Java, Sumatra and Borneo | Sumatra and Borneo (Kalimantan), especially West Kalimantan |
| Endemic to Indonesia | — | No |
| Key features | Flat, high-backed body; anal fin joined to tail | Large scales, two chin barbels, male mouthbroods the eggs |
| Diet | Mainly fish, also insects and small vertebrates | Young: surface insects; adults: fish, frogs, large insects |
| Diet type | carnivore (meat-eater) | carnivore (meat-eater) |
| Reproduction | laying eggs (oviparous) | laying eggs (oviparous) |
| IUCN status | Extinct — 2019 assessment, before the 2023 genetic study | Endangered |
| Legal protection | Protected (Regulation P.106/2018) | Protected (Regulation P.106/2018) |
Every cell comes from the sourced data on each animal’s page; an empty cell means the data is not yet available, not that it is absent.
How to tell them apart
- Giant featherback: Flat, high-backed body; anal fin joined to tail.
- Asian arowana: Large scales, two chin barbels, male mouthbroods the eggs.
Sources
- University of Vienna research portal — Wibowo et al. (2023), Rediscovery of the giant featherback Chitala lopis (Notopteridae) in its type locality resolves decades of taxonomic confusion, Endangered Species Research 52: 285–301 ↗
- FishBase — Chitala lopis, Giant featherback ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2021) — Belida Lopis, Ikan Asli Indonesia yang Dinyatakan Punah ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2021) — Belida, Ikan Berpunggung Pisau Asli Indonesia ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2025) — Ikan Belida Makin Sulit Ditemukan, Mengapa? ↗
- Pemerintah Provinsi Sumatera Barat (Humas, 2017) — Fauna Sekaligus Maskot Prov. Sumbar (daftar fauna identitas provinsi; Sumatera Selatan: ikan belida, Chitala lopis) ↗
- JDIH Kementerian Kehutanan — Lampiran Permen LHK P.106/MENLHK/SETJEN/KUM.1/12/2018 tentang Jenis Tumbuhan dan Satwa yang Dilindungi ↗
- FishBase ↗
- GBIF Backbone Taxonomy (GBIF) ↗
- FishBase — Scleropages formosus, Asian bonytongue ↗
- Cybium 27(4) — Pouyaud, Sudarto & Teugels (2003), The different colour varieties of the Asian arowana Scleropages formosus (Osteoglossidae) are distinct species: morphologic and genetic evidences ↗
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences (PMC) — Toma et al. (2023), Cytogenetics meets genomics: cytotaxonomy and genomic relationships among color variants of the Asian arowana Scleropages formosus ↗
- Kementerian Kelautan dan Perikanan (2023) — KKP Ajak Masyarakat Lindungi Arwana Kalimantan ↗
- Mongabay Indonesia (2019) — Kelestarian Silok Merah Terancam di Alam ↗
Want to see every animal?
Search by name, habitat or island in the animal directory.