Arowana "barbels/whiskers"

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Zeke

Zeke

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Jan 29, 2014
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I been wondering about why arowana have the pair of barbels. IMHO, #1-they use them while feeding to pick up vibrations on the surface. #2- they use them to line up prey items on the surface, like sights on a gun. #3- they use them to "test" what the prey item is, before grabbing it with their mouth. I've also wondered if they might have taste buds on them... like a catfish. This is all pure speculation, as I've never done any kind of research on the matter. Anyone have an answer??? Just curious. Thanks.
 
I believe it's for taste. That's what my old Indonesian buddy told me. He kept some nice Asian aros

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They use them to "feel" the surrounding area when they swim. If you keep one in a dark room, its barbels will grow long, if the tank has sufficient width
 
Interesting. I'm intrigued. Why are they so large on the juveniles? Do they help the babies be more efficient predators ,I suppose?
 
i definitely thing they're some type of feeler. while i was feeding my tank the other day and watched mt silver take a piece of tilapia. it looked as if he were using them to guide the food into his mouth.
 
I feel like they are used for sensing vibrations on the water surface when they are...like you said under 6" or so. I've also noticed over the last 25-30 years of observation, that when juveniles are actively feeding ,the barbels are spread very widely apart. If they were used for anything other than that, they would grow with the fish over time ,instead of the growth of the barbels stopping for the most part when the arowana reaches a certain sub-adult size. The largest arowana seem to have the smallest barbels, for the most part IMO. That explanation on what they are used for ,seems to make the most sense anyway. What does everyone think of that hypothesis?
 
Zeke said:
I feel like they are used for sensing vibrations on the water surface when they are...like you said under 6" or so. I've also noticed over the last 25-30 years of observation, that when juveniles are actively feeding ,the barbels are spread very widely apart. If they were used for anything other than that, they would grow with the fish over time ,instead of the growth of the barbels stopping for the most part when the arowana reaches a certain sub-adult size. The largest arowana seem to have the smallest barbels, for the most part IMO. That explanation on what they are used for ,seems to make the most sense anyway. What does everyone think of that hypothesis?
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I would 100% agree but pellets don't move or make vibration. I have witnessed an arowana methodically swim around an algae stricken tank can't see at all pick up pellets like he knew where they were.

Also don't most fish have a lateral line? I think that's what it's called. That they use to sense vibrations and such ?
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Correct. They use the lateral line to sense vibrations in the water. You gotta think though...not too many pellets are found in the wild. Mainly insects and fish are their diet in the Amazon when small. That's where the barbels come in handy.... for vibrations on the surface from the insect moving around, trying to get away from the surface tension of the water.
 
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