Arowanas are freshwater bony fish of the family Osteoglossidae, also known as bonytongues (the latter name is now often reserved for Arapaimidae).In this family of fish, the head is bony and the elongated body is covered by large, heavy scales, with a mosaic pattern of canals. The dorsal and anal fins have soft rays and are long based, while the pectoral and ventral fins are small.

The name “bonytongues” is derived from a toothed bone on the floor of the mouth, the “tongue”, equipped with teeth that bite against teeth on the roof of the mouth. The arowana is a facultative air breather and can obtain oxygen from air by sucking it into its swim bladder. These fish have a life span in excess of 20 years,