Cobalt Blue Discus
Symphysodon aequifasciatus
About this strain
A deep, rich blue that's darker and more saturated than Blue Diamond — closer to a true cobalt or navy in the best specimens. Unlike Blue Diamond's uniform coverage, Cobalt Blues sometimes retain subtle darker vertical banding that adds depth rather than detracting from appearance. The blue tends to have less of a metallic sheen and more of a flat-rich quality. This is an older strain in the hobby and one of the foundational patterned-to-solid blue varieties. Select fish with even color distribution and no obvious brown or grey patches; those indicate stress coloration rather than true cobalt pigmentation.
Origin
One of the earlier solid-blue strains developed from green discus selective breeding programs in the 1970s–1980s, with contributions from European and later Asian breeders. Predates Blue Diamond as a commercial solid-blue strain.