龙鱼

choi

Chris Kraul, In Colombia, Turning Coca Farmers into Breeders of Ornamental Fish. Los Angeles Times, Aug 12, 2013
http://www.latimes.com/news/nati ... ental-fish-20130812,0,1662537.story  

Quote:

"silver arowana, a highly coveted species called dragonfish in China. Each silver arowana costs pennies to raise but sells at retail for up to $40 in Hong Kong, where collectors view an aquarium filled with nine arowanas as a sign of good luck.

"Wen Xiangfei, a dragonfish hobbyist and website owner in Beijing, said the fish are 'like antiques' in that they have been coveted for centuries in China, 'especially in the south where traditional beliefs are stronger.' He said that the fish are thought to 'attract wealth and ward off demons' and that dragonfish aquariums are a status symbol.

Note:
(a) silver arowana
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_arowana
(Osteoglossum bicirrhosum; can grow to a maximum size of 90 centimetres (35 in); sometimes called dragon fish by aquarists because their shiny armor-like scales and double barbels are reminiscent of descriptions of dragons in Asian folklore)

barbel (anatomy)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barbel_(anatomy)
barbel (n; obsolete French, from Middle French, diminutive of barbe  barb, beard):
"a slender tactile process on the lips of certain fishes (as catfishes)"
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/barbel
(b) I can not find "arowara" 龙鱼 in any online English dictionary. Presumably teh name came from some South American language.