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Today on Animal Fact Files we’re discussing discus fish. These fish get their common name for their similar size to a throwing discus used in Olympic sports. Like the ocean sunfish, discus fish are nearly as tall as they are long. They are known to reach up to 8 inches (20cm) in length but some aquarists suggest they can be 10 inches (25cm) long. It's debated how many discus species exist, but as of this recording generally three are accepted. Of course, their presence in the aquarium trade has brought about dozens of different types and each species is able to hybridize with one another, so their classification may change with new information.

These freshwater fish are found in the Amazon river basin. They inhabit rivers, lakes, and floodplains depending on the species and the time of year. Discus fish specifically spawn during the rainy season when areas are flooded and they are able to access more food. These fish are omnivores and eat plant matter, detritus, and aquatic insects or, like piranhas, opportunistically take terrestrial insects that have fallen in the water. These fish live in schools that number dozens of members, but during the breeding season male and female pairs separate from their school and establish a territory. Here they'll mate and produce upwards of 400 fertilized eggs. The eggs take two days to hatch and the parents will spend the next month caring for their young.

Discus fish have a peculiar care strategy in which both parents produce a mucus from their skin which their babies then consume. We’ve talked about other mucusy fish on this show before, but not about any that feed it to their babies! For the first two weeks, the parent discus fish stick close to their kids and feed them as needed. For the final two weeks, the adults will swim further away and tend to their young less and less. It takes a year for discus fish to reach reproductive maturity and they may live anywhere from four to ten years old, though these older ages are reported from captive individuals.

Discus fish are also known as pompadour fish and the king of the aquarium trade. They fetch high prices for their unique shape and endless colors and patterns. In the wild, color populations are often separated. Individuals of the same species may have different colors and patterns to conspecifics due to differences in water temperature, pH, dissolved nutrients, and more.

Their predators include fish eating mammals, birds, and reptiles. In the wild, their populations are believed to be in decline, likely due to overfishing as a means to stock the aquarium trade. Discus fish prefer water temperatures between 79 and 88 degrees Fahrenheit (26-31*C) but they can tolerate warmer water in still pools. These fish live in clear water systems with sandy bottoms or leaf litter. They like fallen debris, like fallen logs, in their habitat but also prefer open water in which to swim.

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