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someone asked me why his large silver arowana was skittish and for something so big, why was it a weakly.

i told him that arowanas are top water fish, and must be skittish as topwater fish are easy targets for birds (etc...) that will try and eat it, compared to bottom fish that dont have to worry(as much)

You might be right, but overall his setup is probably too small, too bare , and could do with some lighting to prevent shadow hitting the water surface when he looks in.It might be the way he moves around it too, some people just make fish nervous.

My aro is the reverse, it attacks anything moving over the water, and that would include my head, sometimes irrational nervousness is like aggression and repetetive movements,are possibly a sign that stereotypical behaviour and habituation is setting in. I saw a picture of one taking a small monkey off a tree branch once, and ive seen some very laid back specimens too.