Metynnis argenteus facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Metynnis argenteus |
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Metynnis argenteus is a type of fish that lives only in the Tapajós River Basin in Brazil. It belongs to a family of fish called serrasalmids. Many people know this fish as the "silver dollar" because of its round, flat, and shiny silver body.
This fish is often seen as the classic silver dollar. However, it can sometimes be mixed up with a very similar fish called M. hypsauchen.
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How to Identify a Silver Dollar Fish
The silver dollar fish has a round body that is flat from side to side. It is usually a bright silver color. Sometimes, you might see a little bit of red on its fins or near its throat.
Young silver dollar fish are often sold when they are about two inches long. They are peaceful fish that like to swim together in groups. Adult females can grow to be about five or six inches long in a tank. Males are usually a bit smaller.
You can often tell the difference between males and females. Females tend to have a fuller belly when they are healthy. Males grow slightly longer fins as they get older. When it's time to mate, male silver dollars get two big, dark spots behind their front fins. Their red colors also become much brighter, and their fins get black edges. Some males might even show dark patterns on their sides. Females usually don't change much in color during this time.
Silver Dollar Fish Behavior in Aquariums
Silver dollar fish are very peaceful and like to swim in groups, also known as shoals. They can be a bit shy if they don't have places to hide. If a silver dollar fish is kept alone, it might become very quiet and hide a lot.
These fish do best when they are kept in a group. They need plenty of space to swim and places to hide if they feel scared. They like warm, clear, and well-filtered water with good water movement. They are calm enough to live with much smaller fish and strong enough to be with larger fish too.
What Silver Dollar Fish Eat
Metynnis argenteus, like other Metynnis fish, mostly eat plants. But they also eat some animal matter. They will happily eat dry flake food. They also enjoy live or frozen foods like bloodworms, shelled shrimp, tuna, daphnia, and brine shrimp. It's good to give them a variety of foods to keep them healthy.
They will nibble on sliced cucumber and show interest in shelled peas, carrots, boiled potato, and small pieces of fresh or canned fruit. Be careful if you have live plants in their tank! Silver dollar fish will eat live plants all day long. Because of this, many fish keepers use plastic plants instead of real ones in tanks with silver dollars.
Silver Dollar Fish Reproduction
Most silver dollar fish are ready to reproduce when they are about four inches long, but this can vary. In a group of fish, the males usually become active before the females. They might "spar" or playfully fight while the females watch.
When the females are ready to mate, the fish in a healthy group will often mate every day. Silver dollar fish lay many eggs and scatter them around. They don't usually take care of their young. They scatter their eggs among fine-leaved plants or directly onto the bottom of the tank. They do this during a special side-by-side swimming dance.
Many breeders put a layer of marbles at the bottom of the tank if they want the fish to breed in a community tank. The idea is that the eggs fall between the marbles. This way, other fish can't eat the eggs during this important time. When the baby fish hatch and start to swim, they have a better chance of avoiding predators.
See also
In Spanish: Dólar de plata para niños
