Common Name/s: Discus Tetra, Disc tetra, Salmon tetra & Disk characin

Scientific name: Brachychalcinus orbicularis

Other scientific names: Brachychalcinus guianensis, Ephippicharax orbicularis, Poptella orbicularis & Tetragonopterus orbicularis,

Family: Characidae

Origin: Guyana and Suriname.

Maximum Size: 9cm/3.5"

Care: Groups of 6 at the very least. These fish go beyond schooling to the point of acting as one fish.
pH range 5.5-7.6 temp range 18-25c

Feeding: Omnivourous, will accept any foods offered. Know to eat the odd plant or two.

Sexing and Breeding: impossible to tell from external viewing. Not known to breed in the aquarium.

Comments: A rare and beautiful mid level fish. Lighting the tank from the side will bring out the green, pink and violet hues on its otherwise silver body. Looks very similar to silver dollers

The following is an observation based on my 9 discus tetras and is by no mean difinative.

I have noticed that the larger of my 9 have a white tip to their anal fin
the smaller fish appear to have a jet black adipose fin.

conclusion
With most tetras the female is larger than the male,
I can only conclude that the ones with white are females and the others are male.
untill a definative study is made of this species by a recognised icthology body.
I will assume that my observations are correct

This post has been edited by Lateral Line: May 20 2006, 09:07 PM