Discus vs Zebra Danio

Symphysodon discus comparado com Danio rerio

Taxonomy & Classification

Atributo	Discus	Zebra Danio
Nome Científico	Symphysodon discus	Danio rerio
Ordem	Cichliformes	Cypriniformes
Família	Cichlidae	Danionidae
Conservation Status	Least Concern	Least Concern

Physical Traits

Atributo	Discus	Zebra Danio
Comprimento Máximo	20,0 cm	5,0 cm
Peso Máximo	0,25 kg	0,001 kg
Cor	Deep-bodied disc shape with vibrant turquoise-blue wavy horizontal lines over a reddish-brown to orange-brown base; fins edged in vivid blue with red striping; wild forms show 9 dark vertical bars.	Silver to pale gold body with five continuous horizontal royal-blue stripes running from gill to tail tip, including through the fins; belly silvery-white; fins clear with blue-gold striping.

Habitat & Environment

Atributo	Discus	Zebra Danio
Tipo de Água	Freshwater	Freshwater
Faixa de Profundidade	—	—
Distribuição Geográfica	Restricted to the central Amazon River basin in Brazil, particularly around the confluence of the Rio Negro and Rio Solimões. Prefers warm, soft, highly acidic …	Native to the Ganges and Brahmaputra river basins of Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and Myanmar. Inhabits fast-flowing hill streams, rice paddies, and shallow ponds across the …
Habitat	Warm, blackwater rivers of the Amazon basin, particularly the Rio Negro and tributaries. Prefers soft, acidic water (pH 4.5-6.5, 26-31°C) with driftwood and minimal current. …	Fast-flowing, clear mountain streams of the Ganges-Brahmaputra region, India and Bangladesh. Clean, well-oxygenated, shallow water with sandy and gravelly substrate (18-26°C). Lab model organism.

Aquarium Suitability

Atributo	Discus	Zebra Danio
Tamanho Mínimo do Aquário	250 L	40 L
Temperatura	26-30	18-24
Faixa de pH	5.0-7.0	6.0-8.0
Nível de Cuidado	Difficult	Easy
Temperamento	Peaceful	Peaceful

Cuisine & Edibility

Discus

Not consumed — a prized ornamental aquarium fish known as the 'king of the aquarium' for its disc-shaped body and brilliant colors.

Zebra Danio

Not consumed — a hardy ornamental aquarium fish notable for its horizontal blue-silver stripes and active schooling behavior; also a widely used laboratory model organism.

Species Overview

Discus

The discus is often called the 'King of the Aquarium' for its disc-shaped body and stunning color patterns. Native to the Amazon floodplains, it requires warm, soft, acidic water and feeds its fry with a mucus secretion from its skin.

Zebra Danio

The zebrafish is a small cyprinid native to South Asia's freshwater streams. Its distinctive blue-and-gold horizontal stripes and hardy nature make it a popular aquarium fish. It is also the most widely used vertebrate model organism in genetic research.