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Cope's silver dollar (Brachychalcinus copei) — Characidae

Cope's silver dollar

Brachychalcinus copei
Family: Characidae

The Cope's silver dollar (Brachychalcinus copei) is a freshwater fish of the family Characidae that grows up to 9 cm.

Length
9 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped
Substrate
Mixed bottom
Danger
Harmless

Description

Cope's silver dollar is a characin (Characidae) from fresh water of the Amazon basin in South America. The species grows to about 9 cm and has a deep, disc-shaped, strongly compressed, silvery body reminiscent of a coin. As a schooling fish it swims in rivers and eats plant material, small insects and detritus. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Cope's silver dollar?

The Cope's silver dollar has a flattened, disc-shaped body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Cope's silver dollar live?

The Cope's silver dollar lives in fresh water and is mostly found around mixed bottom.

How big does the Cope's silver dollar get?

The Cope's silver dollar grows to a maximum of about 9 cm.

Is the Cope's silver dollar dangerous to humans?

No, the Cope's silver dollar is harmless to humans.

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All data

Identification

Dutch name
Copes zilverdollar sourced
English name
Cope's silver dollar sourced
Scientific name
Brachychalcinus copei
Family
Characidae

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
9.0 verified
Body shape
Flat / disc-shaped sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Forked inferred

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Mixed bottom sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
No inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Klein van stuk en nauwelijks een hengelsportdoel; wordt vooral incidenteel of als aasvis gevangen. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Brachychalcinus

More from the family Characidae

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