The standard silver color is by far the most popular, but they aren’t alone. There are a few types of silver dollar fish that you’ll see quite often. When you compare their heads you can definitely see the similarities. Meanwhile on the bottom, it flattens out before making a sharp turn up to the caudal fin.Īuthor Note: Silver dollar fish come from the same family as the piranha ( characidae). Then where their dorsal fin starts is slants down before hitting a very slight bump. Starting at their head it’s a fairly clean triangle on top and bottom until the midpoint. Silver dollar fish have slightly lumpy bodies. The silver caudal peduncle on these fish extends a bit into the caudal fin. Their caudal fins are forked ever so slightly and are perfectly symmetrical. The front ridge of the dorsal fin is typically more opaque than the rest of it. Their dorsal fins look a bit like a tilted equilateral triangle that starts at the highest point on their body. Thie further accentuates their silver dollar similarities. The majority of their body is quite shiny but becomes more translucent when you get to their fins. Their bodies are tall and flat which gives them a rather circular appearance from the side. The silver dollar fish looks just like, a silver dollar (shocking). As long as you take those things seriously you should expect to see them live quite long and happy lives! Appearance However, this still means you can shorten their lifespan significantly if you don’t maintain the right tank and water conditions. However, it’s not that uncommon for them to exceed this by a year if they have good genetics and receive optimal care.īecause of their natural habitat, these are very hardy fish. The typical silver dollar fish lifespan is roughly ten years. Knowing this will be useful for when you map out potential tank mates later on. These are top dwelling fish which means they will spend most of their time in the upper half of your freshwater aquarium. Rocks and driftwood are scattered throughout the water they live in. Silver dollar fish are also used to a variety of hiding spots in their natural habitat other than plants. In fact, one of their nicknames is the “plant piranha!” This is worth noting because it will impact how you decorate and fill your tank when it comes to plant life. They eat mostly plants and are known for their ability to devour any plant in their path. Their tall and thin build makes them perfect for navigating this environment and swimming between stems with ease.

The silver dollar fish (scientific name: metynnis argenteus) can be found all throughout South America in rivers that contain heavy amounts of long vegetation. Silver Dollar Fish Tank Mates & Compatibility.

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