Which is best?

According to one of the five international judges at the fair, Hendri Leong, discerning which arowana is best is a subtle process.

Colour and body shape each account for 30 percent of the final mark, while the remaining 40 percent is worked out on the tail, fins and mouth.

A prime arowana's eyes must naturally look upwards, because it is supposed to be on the lookout for insects. The two barbels — whiskery protrusions from the front of the jaw — must run parallel to each other and the fins must be well-shaped and intact.

An arowana that has a single row of scales along the crest of its back, rather than splitting in two at the gills, is declared "I Thiaw Long," or "dragon in the dark," and its value immediately doubles.

Reputations

According to arowana club chairperson Suryaatmadja, famous fish are starting to generate reputations similar to racehorses.

The "grand champion Singapore 2007" was named Oscar de la Hoya, after the famous American boxer. Its owner was offered the price of a new Mercedes-Benz for the fish but turned it down.

The craze for arowanas means rarity is sought out in all its forms. A Siamese-twin arowana fry, its two bodies joined on one side which prevents it from swimming, is kept alive by an owner who hand feeds it.

Some albino or "platinum" arowanas have also gone at times for higher prices than the "super red" variety, as they are much rarer.

Arowana-mania has also been a boon for fraudsters, with some feeding non-red arowanas with hormone-injected grasshoppers to give the fish the valuable hue.

The fish is also associated with power. Suryaatmadja said that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had just bought a "super red".

The late former dictator Suharto was also reputed to own one which he called "the thinking arowana". The fish, according to legend, was a silent consultant for the strongman when it came time to make difficult decisions.