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375 Featured Specimen
Discus

Details

Discus

Symphysodon aequifasciatus

Size
12–20 cm · 150–250 g
Diet
Omnivore
Activity
Diurnal
Sociality
Social
Lifespan
10–15 years

The discus is a round-bodied cichlid of Amazonian waters. It lives in quiet, woody habitats and is notable for close parental care of fry.

Range

Habitat range map
Native range Occasional / Transient
NeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropicalNeotropical

Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)

Details

Habitat

It inhabits freshwater forest waters in the Neotropics. Flooded forest, submerged wood, slow flow, and dim water provide cover.

Appearance

Length 12-20 cm; weight 150 g-250 g. The body is strongly compressed and nearly circular in side view. Colors range through green, brown, and bluish tones with fine vertical bars.

Behavior

Diurnal and social, juveniles and nonbreeders often move in groups. Breeding pairs defend a site and keep young close.

Feeding

An omnivore, it eats small invertebrates, algae, and detritus. It picks food from the bottom and surfaces of submerged wood.

Reproduction

A pair lays eggs on a flat surface, and both parents guard eggs and larvae. Fry feed on mucus secreted from the parents’ skin after hatching.

Notes

It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.