# Discus

Discus fish are round and brightly colored, making them look like living jewels in the water. They like to swim together and can be quite friendly.

- **Category:** [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/fish)
- **Rarity:** Rare
- **Danger:** 2/5 · Low
- **Also known as:** Symphysodon

![Discus](https://res.cloudinary.com/drieglelr/image/upload/v1771426236/objects/4746.jpg)

## Appearance

The Discus has a distinctive, highly compressed, disc-shaped body, almost perfectly round. They boast vibrant and intricate patterns of blues, reds, greens, and yellows, often with vertical dark stripes. Their long dorsal and anal fins extend along most of their body.

## Taxonomy

- **Kingdom:** Animalia
- **Phylum:** Mollusca
- **Class:** Actinopterygii
- **Order:** Cichliformes
- **Family:** Cichlidae
- **Genus:** Symphysodon

## Interesting facts

- Baby Discus eat slime from their parents' skin!
- Their round shape is almost perfectly symmetrical.
- They are often called the 'King of the Aquarium.'
- Wild Discus can live for over a decade!

## Special abilities

- **Slime Coat Supper:** Discus can feed their newborn fry with nutrient-rich slime produced from their own skin, like fishy milk!
- **Instant Mood Ring:** Discus has specialized cells that let them quickly change color to show their mood or blend into their surroundings.
- **Flat Forest Forager:** Discus has a very flat, disc-like body shape that helps it expertly navigate through dense underwater plants.

## Measurements & details

- **Length:** 15-25 cm
- **Weight:** 0.1-0.3 kg
- **Lifespan:** 10-15 years
- **Maximum Depth:** 5 m
- **Water Type:** Freshwater

## Diet & Feeding

Discus are omnivores, munching on small invertebrates and plant matter found in the water.

- **Primary Foods:** aquatic insect larvae, small crustaceans, algae, detritus
- **Foraging Method:** Foraging

## Ecological connections

- **Eaten by:** Peacock Bass (*Cichla ocellaris*) — Larger predatory fish hunt juvenile Discus in the Amazon.
- **Eats:** Water Flea (*Daphnia pulex*) — Discus feed on small aquatic crustaceans like water fleas.
- **Eats:** Bloodworm (*Chironomus plumosus*) — Discus often consume the larvae of various aquatic insects.

## Traits

- [Wildlife](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/wildlife): Wildlife encompasses all undomesticated animal and plant life existing in their natural habitats.
- [Social](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/social): Social animals live in organized groups, cooperating for survival benefits such as foraging, defense, and raising offspring.
- [Colorful](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/colorful): Colorful describes organisms or objects displaying a wide range of bright and distinct colors.
- [Herbivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/herbivorous): This trait characterizes organisms whose diet consists entirely or primarily of plant material.
- [Piscivorous](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/piscivorous): Piscivorous organisms are animals that primarily subsist on a diet of fish.
- [Freshwater](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/freshwater): Freshwater habitats include non-saline aquatic environments such as rivers, lakes, ponds, and wetlands, vital for numerous species.
- [Aquatic](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/aquatic): Aquatic habitats encompass environments where organisms live predominantly in water, including oceans, rivers, lakes, and wetlands.

## Collections

- [Fish](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/fish)

## Safety

**Danger:** 2/5 · Low

Watch quietly from a distance and never try to feed or chase wild animals.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### How to identify Discus?

Look at body shape, where the fins sit and their outline, mouth position, stripes and spots. Young fish and breeding adults can wear different patterns, and aquarium color varieties can look nothing like wild fish. Fish Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details.

### How long is Discus?

15-25 cm

### How much does Discus weigh?

0.1-0.3 kg

### How long does Discus live?

10-15 years

### What does Discus eat?

Discus are omnivores, munching on small invertebrates and plant matter found in the water.

### How does Discus hunt?

Foraging

### How deep can Discus go?

5 m

### What kind of water does Discus live in?

Freshwater

## More Fish

- [Rainbow Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/rainbow-trout) (*Oncorhynchus mykiss*)
- [Brown Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brown-trout) (*Salmo trutta*)
- [Brook Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/brook-trout) (*Salvelinus fontinalis*)
- [Lake Trout](https://www.snappit.app/explore/lake-trout) (*Salvelinus namaycush*)

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Source: [Discus: Characteristics, Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/discus)