true spotted silver dollars, hard to come by...

[Magnum Man]

I've tried buying spotted silver dollars several times... I always wanted a tank with the mixed varieties, but they have always been immature fish, and I think common silver dollar, will often have spots when they are juvenal, mine have always outgrown their spots...

does anyone have adult spotted silver dollars, or do they all lose them, when they mature???

 

[Back in the fold]

What color spots ? Dark spots ? I don’t think I’ve ever seen any variety other than the plain silver ones . Always did like them as they are a nice schooling fish and look nice in a large group in a big aquarium .

 

[FranciscoB]

There are several species of “spotted” silver dollars (4-5) in the genus Metynnis (a genus comprising circa 14 species). The only two of those that are common in the hobby are maculatus and lippincotianus, with lippincotianus being far more common, at least in the USA, and in recent years.
Spotting is heavily dependent on happiness of the fish, and on “mood”, i.e., displaying to females or competitors. Although both genders are spotted, typically is stronger on males.
To the question if the spots fade with age. No they don’t. In fact, they increase with sexual maturity, but again, depends on conditions and mood, but should always be detectable in any condition. Usually single silver dollars in a tank, or unhappy fish do no show well the spots, or at all. A nice group including both genders and well feed in a suitable tank will show lots of spotting.
By the way, some people consider a third species as “spotted” -, Metynnis altidorsalis. They are not truly spotted, the dark markings are more like large irregular blotches (irregular in size, and in distribution).
There are at least two additional spotted dollars, but they dont make into the hobby. The most spotted of all is Metynnis anisurus, which I have only once seen offered for sale online, in many years.
Cheers!

 

[Magnum Man]

as long as we are talking about silver dollars...

how about Schomburgkii... I always see them broken up into "wide bar" and "narrow bars" are they really 2 different species, or is someone separating them by the width of their bars, and does that bar width stay the same as they mature, or, for example, they start as narrow bars, and the bar grows wider, as the fish matures???

this seller lists both wide and narrow bars as Schomburgkii, but pictures them like this... the fish in the top picture appears much less mature than that in the lower picture

 

[GaryE]

My understanding, which could be wrong as fish that size aren't my interest, is that there are wide barred and black blotched linebred variations on the basic species.

 

[Magnum Man]

since getting back into aquariums, I've come to love the variations of silver dollars, and I'm thinking about a pretty large mixed shoal of them in the 250 gallon, when I set it up... 30 years ago, all I ever had was the plain silver dollars, a large shoal of mixed plain silvers, along with the tigers, and barred, among possibly other varieties would be interesting, and easily viewed for company, since that tank will be my most public... I'm originally thinking a couple stingrays in the tank, if their parameters are close enough...

 

[FranciscoB]

Schomburgki are not Metynnis, but Myleus/Myloplus.
Further, they are now 3 species, including M. aulon, M. saulon, and M. Schomburgki. In aquarium parlance this translates into wide bar red hooks, wide bar blue hooks, and thin bars. This is since the diversity of the “Schomburgki” barred dollars was finally formally clarified two years ago. Later I can provide the reference.
All the 3 species above grow to much larger size than any of the 14 species of Metynnis, with thin bars being the smaller of the three, but still larger than all Metynnis.
One should not speak of ‘regular silver dollars’, or ‘plain silver dollars’ as too many species are included. Those terms usually are used regarding fish of the genus Metynnis, of which at least 5-6 species are common in the hobby, some more than others: altidorsalis, argenteus, fasciatus, lippincotianus, and maculatus. A few others are infrequently found in the hobby, but not commonly. The great majority of what is now available in the pet trade are mass produced, and based on only 3-4 species. The rest are not available as tank raised, and only less frequently available.
And then, there are the other, larger silver dollars genera, which are never referred to as regular silver dollars.