Stats

Lifespan

10-15 yrs

Size

Small

Diet

Omnivore

Activity

Diurnal

Social

School

Biome

Freshwater wetland

Range

South America

Movement

Swimming

Breeding

Egg-laying

Defense

Camouflage

Status

Rare

About

This flat fish lives among dense aquatic plants in the Amazon River basin. Its thin, disc-shaped body allows it to navigate through tangled roots and reeds.

Life cycle

1. 1.
   hatchling fry

   A tiny fry hatches with a yolk sac and begins free-swimming once the sac is absorbed.
2. 2.
   juvenile

   A juvenile takes on adult body shape and feeds on small prey, often in nursery waters.
3. 3.
   adult

   Fully grown at adult size and coloration.

Learn more

• View on iNaturalist →

Taxonomy

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Chordata

Class

Actinopterygii

Order

Cichliformes

Family

Cichlidae

Genus

Pterophyllum

Species

Pterophyllum scalare