Silver Moony

Looks how to spot one

Deep, disc-shaped scaled fish

A tall, almost diamond-shaped fish with a flat body and long, swept-back dorsal and anal fins. Adults are a bright mirror silver with yellowish fin edges and dark tips on the dorsal and anal fins. Juveniles are more yellow and have two dark vertical bars, one through the eye and one just behind the gill cover.2

Personality what they are like

An active, sociable fish that is often seen in large schools. It can be a little territorial, but in a group it is busy and outgoing.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

A fast, mid-water swimmer that needs plenty of open swimming space for the group to move together.12

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

A tropical fish for about 24 to 28 C. Young fish are found in fresher water while adults favour brackish to marine water, so salinity is usually raised as the fish grow; adults can be kept in full saltwater aquaria.12

Home where they are happiest

A tropical estuary fish that lives in bays, mangroves and tidal creeks and grows to between 12 and 27 cm. A roomy tank with plenty of open water suits a schooling fish of this size, and adults can be kept in saltwater aquaria.12

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Feeds on plankton and detritus in the wild, so it does well on a varied mix of small foods offered in modest portions.12

Company who they like around

Best kept in a group, as it naturally forms schools. Seriously Fish lists monos among good companions for archerfish in a brackish tank.13

The story where it all began

Carl Linnaeus described the silver moony in 1758. Its species name argenteus is Latin for 'silvery'. It is taken in small local fisheries and has a long history in the aquarium trade, where it is known simply as the mono.21

Recognised by the official bits

IUCN Red List

Least Concern (assessed 2016)1