Spotted silver dollar

About

The spotted silver dollar (Metynnis lippincottianus) is one of the less commonly encountered members of a genus that causes no shortage of confusion at fish stores. Most silver dollars sold in the hobby are actually related species like M. argenteus or M. hypsauchen, but this one gives itself away with a distinctive spotted pattern across its disc-shaped, laterally compressed body. The spots are subtler than those of the similarly named M. maculatus, which can help tell the two apart if you know what to look for. Native to the Amazon basin and the northeastern rivers of the Guiana Shield, this species is closely related to piranhas, and the resemblance is real enough to catch people off guard. Though temperamentally, the two could hardly be more different. Spotted silver dollars are peaceful, active schooling fish that genuinely need the company of their own kind; a lone individual tends to become skittish and stressed, so a group of five or more is the practical minimum. They spend most of their time in the middle and upper water column, which makes bottom-dwelling tankmates like larger catfish a natural complement. Smaller fish may occasionally disappear, so choose companions with some size to them. Breeding has not been documented in captivity for this species specifically, though it is assumed to follow patterns similar to its close relatives.