Red-hook Silver Dollar Care Guide
Myloplus rubripinnis is a tall, peaceful schooling silver dollar from the Amazon and Orinoco with a bright red anal fin and a herbivorous diet.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
Myloplus rubripinnis, the red-hook silver dollar, is a tall, laterally compressed serrasalmid described by Müller and Troschel in 1844. Its common name refers to the largely red anal fin. It is a peaceful, gregarious fish that schools readily despite being capable of strong bites.
Taxonomy
- Family: Serrasalmidae
- Genus: Myloplus
- Scientific name: Myloplus rubripinnis
- Order: Characiformes
Habitat
The species occurs in the Amazon and Orinoco basins and rivers of the Guiana Shield, across Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru. FishBase describes it as a benthopelagic freshwater fish that prefers calm river zones with overhanging vegetation.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 500 L
- Temperature: 24-28 °C (75-82 °F)
- pH: 5.5-7.5
- GH: 4-18 °dGH
- School size: 5 or more individuals
- Lifespan: 8-12 years
Diet
Myloplus rubripinnis is herbivorous, with FishBase recording a low trophic level of about 2.0; adults feed on the leaves of river plants. In the aquarium it eats most soft plants, so a planted layout is difficult to keep with this species.
Compatibility
This is a peaceful, non-aggressive, middle-water schooling fish. Suitable companions include larger tetras and plecos; soft live plants are eaten and should be considered incompatible.
Conservation status
IUCN Red List: Least Concern.
Red-hook Silver Dollar (Myloplus rubripinnis) Breeding Guide
Overview
Myloplus rubripinnis, the red-hook silver dollar, is a tall, peaceful, herbivorous South American characin reaching about 25 cm. According to Seriously Fish it inhabits slower-moving river sections where marginal or overhanging vegetation is dense. Seriously Fish states plainly that breeding has not been achieved in the hobby.
Sexing
Seriously Fish lists sexing as not known, suggesting only that the male may have a longer anal fin. Reported community observations describe a wavy male anal fin that is thicker in the middle with a convex curved edge, versus a straighter, uniform anal fin in females, but this is not a confirmed method.
Conditioning
As a herbivore the species takes courgette, cucumber, peas and spring greens plus algae wafers, spirulina and vegetable flake. A varied vegetable-rich diet maintains condition, though no spawning trigger is documented.
Breeding Setup
No documented breeding setup exists. Seriously Fish lists keeping parameters of 23-27 C, pH 6.0-7.0 and hardness up to about 10 dH, with a group of adults needing a tank of at least 265 litres, so any attempt would begin from soft, slightly acidic water in a very large aquarium.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Seriously Fish records no spawning type, egg information or successful fry-rearing data for Myloplus rubripinnis, so no reliable spawning sequence or trigger can be stated.
Common Challenges
The large adult size and the absence of any documented spawning make home breeding effectively unestablished. As a herbivore, conditioning stock will also consume live plants intended for cover.