Silver dollar (fish) | |
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Scientific classification ![]() | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Characiformes |
Family: | Serrasalmidae |
Genera with silver dollar species | |
Silver dollar is a common name given to a number of species of fishes, mostly in the genus Metynnis , tropical fish belonging to the family Serrasalmidae which are closely related to piranha and pacu. Most commonly, the name refers to Metynnis argenteus . Native to South America, [1] these somewhat round-shaped silver fish are popular with fish-keeping hobbyists.
The silver dollar is a peaceful schooling species [1] that spends most of its time in the mid- to upper-level of the water. Its average lifespan is less than ten years but can live longer in captivity. A benthic spawner and egg scatterer, the adult fish will spawn around 2,000 eggs. This breeding occurs in soft, warm water in low light.
Silver dollars natively live in a tropical climate in the sides of weedy rivers. They prefer water with a pH of 5–7, a water hardness of up to 15 dGH, and an ideal temperature range of 24–28 °C (75–82 °F). Their diet is almost exclusively vegetarian and in captivity they will often eat all the plants in a tank. [1] They will also eat worms and small insects.
The silver dollar is listed as semi-aggressive but some silver dollars can be very mellow. These fish can be kept in community tanks with fish that can't fit in their mouths, and once fully grown, they can be kept with larger fish like oscars, pikes, and larger catfish.
The best way to acquire a breeding pair is to purchase a half dozen juvenile silver dollars and raise them together. The parents will not consume the eggs or fry, although other fish will, so when spawning them it is wise to place them in a separate tank. To facilitate spawning, make sure the water is soft (8 dgH or below) and warm (80 to 82 F), keep the lighting dim, and provide fine-leaved plants.
Eventually a pair will spawn, and the female will lay up to 2000 eggs. The eggs will fall to the bottom of the tank, where they will hatch in three days. After approximately a week, the fry will be free swimming and able to eat fine foods such as commercially prepared fry food, finely-crushed spirulina, or freshly-hatched brine shrimp.
Hard bellies are silvery and somewhat transparent; they are the most commonly encountered species.
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The cherry barb is a tropical freshwater fish belonging to the family Cyprinidae. It is endemic to Sri Lanka, and introduced populations have become established in Mexico and Colombia. The cherry barb was named Puntius titteya by Paules Edward Pieris Deraniyagala in 1929. Synonyms include Barbus titteya and Capoeta titteya.
Pterophyllum is a small genus of freshwater fish from the family Cichlidae known to most aquarists as angelfish. All Pterophyllum species originate from the Amazon Basin, Orinoco Basin and various rivers in the Guiana Shield in tropical South America. The three species of Pterophyllum are unusually shaped for cichlids being greatly laterally compressed, with round bodies and elongated triangular dorsal and anal fins. This body shape allows them to hide among roots and plants, often on a vertical surface. Naturally occurring angelfish are frequently striped transversely, colouration which provides additional camouflage. Angelfish are ambush predators and prey on small fish and macroinvertebrates. All Pterophyllum species form monogamous pairs. Eggs are generally laid on a submerged log or a flattened leaf. As is the case for other cichlids, brood care is highly developed.
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Hemigrammus erythrozonus, commonly known as the glowlight tetra, is a small tropical fish from the Essequibo River, Guyana, South America. It is silver in colour and a bright iridescent orange to red stripe extends from the snout to the base of its tail, the front of the dorsal fin being the same color as the stripe. Other fins are silver to transparent. The glowlight tetra is a peaceful, shoaling fish. It is larger than the neon tetra, and its peaceful disposition makes it an ideal, and popular, community tank fish. It should be kept with similar sized, non-aggressive species. Hemigrammus gracilis is a senior synonym. The red-line rasbora of Malaysia and Indonesia has markings and coloring very similar to H. erythrozonus, but is a member of family Cyprinidae, not a close relative.
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Metynnis argenteus is a species of serrasalmid fish endemic to the Tapajós River Basin in Brazil. It is one of the species known in the aquarium trade as the "silver dollar". M. argenteus is generally considered the archetypal silver dollar, although it and the very similar M. hypsauchen frequently have been confused.