55+ Types Of Discus Fish (With Pictures)

Discus fish are beautiful, elegant creatures that come in a wide variety of colors. My first discus fish was a blue one, and I was absolutely mesmerized by its beauty.

I said to myself, “I need to get more of these fish!” So, I started doing some research on them and discovered that there are actually over 55 different colors of discus fish!

In this guide, I’ll share with you a full list of all the different colors of discus fish and a brief care guide to help you choose the perfect one for your aquarium.

Discus Fish Types

Discus fish types fall into three main categories, each has its own set of colors. They are:

Solid Colors: These have a single color throughout
Mild Patterned: These discus fish have protruding points on their bodies, but they are not excessively large
Highly Patterned: Discus with tiny points sprinkled over their bodies

Under each category, there are a lot of subspecies with different colors. Let’s take a look at all of them in detail:

Solid Colors

White Butterfly Discus

The White Butterfly discus has one bluish-white hue and red or orange eyes with black lines on their faces, as well as yellow tints on the top of their heads and tails.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifaciatus axelrodi
Size: Up to 6 Inches
Age: Up to 10 years
pH: 6 – 6.5
Temperature: 77 F – 84 F

Ghost Discus

The Ghost discus has a medium-toned, unappealing gray color that isn’t particularly pretty in an aquarium. Also, their fins have translucent edges.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Common Name: Brilliant blue discus, Discus, Blue diamond discus
Adult Size: 6-7 inches
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 82-86°F
pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
Hardness Range: 1-3
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Albino Golden Discus

These discus fish are golden yellow with faint red borders around the eyes and translucent fins that give them a resemblance to just-picked mangoes.

Characteristics

Adult Size: 10 inches
Tank Size: 50 gallons
pH Range: Between 6.0 and 6.5
Water Temperature: 82ºF-86ºF
Diet Type: Carnivorous

Albino Platinum Discus

The Discus albino is a beautiful, white fish with red eyes and golden features. The body of the Discus albino is completely platinum in color, but if you look closely, you can notice a hint of color in its red eyes and the gold hue surrounding its mouth and gulls.

Characteristics

pH Range: 6.0 – 7.0
Water Temperature: 82ºF-86ºF
Diet Type: Carnivorous
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Red Sun Discus

The red sunfish has discus that is brilliantly red and vivid yellow. Their fins blend in so well with their eyes making them one of the most beautiful and stunning discus fish.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Origin: South America
pH Range: 6.5-7.5
Water Temperature: 28 ° C – 30 ° C
Diet Type: Carnivorous (frozen bloodworms, live blackworms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Blue Diamond Discus

The Blue Diamond Discus Fish is a thin, oval-shaped fish with a beautiful blue coloration. It gets its brilliant hue from wild-caught specimens that were selectively bred for desirable variations in color.

Characteristics

Origin: Malaysia (selective strain)
Maximum Size: 8.5″
Temperature: 78-86°F
pH: 6.3 – 7.2
Hardness: 1.5-3.5 KH
Tank Size: 50 Gallons
Diet: Carnivorous (Primarily Meaty Foods)
Care Difficulty: More Difficult
Compatibility: Generally peaceful community fish

Albino Green Discus

These green discus species have pink eyes and a blue-green hue to their heads, with opal white skin that has a faint pink undertone.

In some lighting conditions, you might see a yellow and green pattern.

Characteristics

Diet Type: Carnivorous (bloodworms, blackworms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers
Temperament: Peaceful

Mercury Discus

They have a beautiful light blue shade with scales that look like they’re from heaven! Usually, their tail is translucent too. As for their eyes, they’re red while yellow is frequently visible on the head.

Characteristics

Size: 3 inches
Temperature Range: 25 °C – 30°C
pH Range: 6.3 – 7.2
Temperament: Peaceful fish

Red Diamond Discus

The red diamond discus fish has transparent fin edges with an orange and yellow face. Their dominant hue is a deep crimson covering the majority of their body.

Characteristics

Size: About 2 inches
Water Temperature: 84-86F degrees
Diet Type: Carnivorous (blackworms, bloodworms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Yellow White Discus

The colors of this discus are yellow with white accents, and the eyes are red or golden, as well as translucent tail and fin edges. Also, their head is white with faint yellow tints.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Temperament: Peaceful fish
Diet Type: Carnivorous (blackworms, bloodworms)
Breeding: Egg layers

Red Marlboro Discus

This fish is identified by its blue tail and dark red fins that fade into orange and yellow. Additionally, their eyes are crimson while the head is a mustard color.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Common Name: Marlboro Red Discus, Red Melon Discus
Adult Size: 6-7 inches
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 82-86°F
pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
Hardness Range: 1-3
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Red Cover Discus

The Red Cover Discus fish has a bright red-orange body with rich yellow colors. Their pale face extends into a beautiful reddish-orange body that fades back to a deep golden color at the dorsal, pectoral, anal, and tail fins.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet Type: Carnivorous (blackworms, bloodworms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Solid Blue discus

These fish show crimson eyes and powder-blue faces. The tail is slate-gray with a bluish tint, and the caudals gradually darken into blue as they approach the head.

The dorsal and anal fins are edged in black with a blue tint.

Characteristics

Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Solid Blue discus

These fish show crimson eyes and powder-blue faces. The tail is slate-gray with a bluish tint, and the caudals gradually darken into blue as they approach the head.

The dorsal and anal fins are edged in black with a blue tint.

Characteristics

Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Cobalt Blue Discus

The Cobalt Blue Discus or Neon Blue Discus has a blue body with darker fins. The face is light blue with a dark band that goes through the eyes.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Common Name: Cobalt Blue Discus, Neon Blue Discus, Discus
Adult Size: 8- 10 inches
Life Expectancy: 5 years
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 40 gallon
Temperature Range: 82-86F
pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
Hardness Range: 1° to 8° DH
Temperament: Semi aggressive
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivores
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Millennium Golden Discus

This unique gold discus, popularly known as the AMG, is a yellow discus with orange and red undertones. Also, it may have an orange and red hue to it, which gives it this genuine “vampire” appearance.

Characteristics

Name: Millennium Gold Discus
Family: Cichlidae
Species: Discus
Scientific Name: Symphysodon sp
Size: 10 inches
Tank Size: 50 gallons
pH level: 6.0-6.5
Water Temperature: 82ºF to 86ºF
Diet: Omnivore
Breeding: Egg layer
Temperament: Peaceful

White Diamond Discus

The White Diamond Discus fish is instantly recognizable by its pearl white body and light blue fins. It’s a popular choice for freshwater aquariums, as it’s relatively low-maintenance and easy to care for.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciatus
Common Name: White Diamond Discus, Snow White Discus
Adult Size: 6-7 inches
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 82-86°F
pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
Hardness Range: 1-3
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

White Scorpion Discus

The Black Scorpion is a cross between the Blue Scorpion and White Pigeon, which has resulted in tiny black spots on its body.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers

Red Melon Discus

The Red Melon Discus has a red-orange to the pale yellow body and either a reddish-orange or pale yellow head.

Characteristics

Origin: South America
Care Level: Advanced
Temperament: Semi-Aggressive
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Environment: Freshwater
Max Size: 8 inches
Diet: Carnivore

Mild Patterned

Red Discus

The Red Discus or Heckel discus is a species of cichlid fish that have more rounded shapes than other discus strains on their bodies, eyes, and tail fins.

Also, their natural coloration is a deep red, but some may have white markings on the head or fins. A few captive-bred fish can be mostly white, black, or faint red.

In addition, they have a wide band going down the center of their bodies which is then followed by narrower and darker bands on the sides.

Characteristics

Origin: South America
Temperament: Peaceful
Care Level: Advanced
Environment: Freshwater
Diet: Carnivore

Blue Discus

Brilliant blue discus beautiful fish come in various shades of blue, some with white or black dotted patterns. Also, they have a wide range of tones, from light brown to vibrant blue or white. Some even have a red and blue tinge!

Characteristics

Scientific name: Symphysodon aequifasciata haraldi
Common name: Blue discus
Family: Cichlidae
Origin: South America
Size: 13 – 15 cm (5.12 – 5.91 inches)
pH: 5.5 – 7.5
Water Hardness (dGH): 0 – 8°N (0 – 142.86ppm)
Temperature: 27 – 30 °C (80.6 – 86°F)
Temperament: peaceful

Green Discus

The hue of this discus is brilliant, with some seeming to be a light blue mixed with a touch of green, and others appearing to have been bathed in stagnant water. Also, they may have white and black checkerboard designs.

Additionally, some feature a yellow-and-green design with a thick dark green line across their eyes and down their bodies.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifaciatus
pH: 6 – 6.5
Temperature: 77 F – 84 F
Size: Up to 6 Inches
Age: Up to 10 years

Brown Discus

A brown discus is a variant of the green discus with a green and brown color scheme, as well as a yellow and brown tint. Also, the pelvic fins are thin, and the pectoral fins are almost transparent.

Characteristics

Species name: Symphysodon aequifasciata axelrodi
Family: Cichlidae
Subfamily: Cichlasomatinae
Order: Perciformes
Class: Actinopterygii
Origin: South America near Belem and Rio Urubu
Maximum length: 6 inches(15 cm)
Minimum tank size: 50 gallons for a maximum of 4 Discus
Hardiness: Medium to difficult
Temperament: Very peaceful

Heckel Cross Discus

The Heckel cross discus fish is orange and blue with an orange head, yellow tinges at the fins and tails, as well as white spots throughout their bodies. Also, there is a dark blue or black band that runs vertically down the middle of their bodies, as well as along their tails’ bases.

Characteristics

Species: Symphysodon aequifasciata
Origin: South America
Temperament: Peaceful
Breeding: Egg layer

Golden Crystal Discus

This discus has a paler abdominal region compared to others of its kind, and it is either orange or deep purple. Also, its face, pectoral fin, and other body parts are much more colorful.

Characteristics

Species: Symphysodon aequifasciata
Origin: South America
Temperament: Peaceful
Breeding: Egg layer

Golden Marlboro Discus

Golden Marlboro discus has white specks on a yellow gold background making this one of the most beautiful discus morphs.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon aequifasciata

Origin: South America

Max Size: 8 inches

Breeding: Egg layer

Care Level: Difficult

Temperament: Almost Peaceful

Rose Red Discus

The Red Rose Discus is a member of the Red Marlboro discus family. This fish has Alenquer genes, and its color appears browner than other forms of red discus.

Characteristics

Scientific Name: Symphysodon Aequifasciatus
Common Name: Rose Red Discus, Discus
Adult Size: 6-7 inches
Habitat: Amazon basin of S. America
Minimum Tank Size: 50 gallons
Temperature Range: 82-86°F
pH Range: 6.4 -7.2
Hardness Range: 1-3
Temperament: Peaceful
Diet & Nutrition: Carnivore (frozen blood worm, beef heart, live black worms)
Breeding & Spawning: Egg layers
Gender: Venting is the best way to sex Discus

Highly Patterned

Tiger Turkish Discus

Tigers have a distinctive pattern design with blue-tinged fins and tails and a gorgeous color scheme.

Brilliant Blue Discus

These fish have dark blue bands vertically running down their vertically-aligned bodies. Their eyes are red, and their skin is a metallic blue hue. Plus, the fins and tails are red, dark blue, and metallic blue.

Albino Turquoise Discus

Albino Turquoise has an ocean blue hue covering their entire bodies with a green and yellow head. Also, they have crimson patterns as well as red and ocean blue eyes.

Pigeon Blood Discus

Pigeon Blood Discus is a selectively bred or manufactured sort of Discus with a creamy yellowish to the orange base color, highlighted by vivid red eyes and striped in black lines and spots.

Most of the time, these fish have black tails with various amounts of light stripe markings or spots.

Rot Turkish Discus

The Rot Turkish discus fish has a round body covered in multiple colors, including red, blue, orange, and white. Also, they have orange fins and tails with black eyes that barely have noticeable pupils.

Blue Snakeskin Discus

The blue snakeskin discus has a red and white head, with a yellow tail that has a faint dark band near the base. More to add, the body is turquoise with dark red dots scattered throughout the primary blue color.

Leopard Spotted Discus

Leopard discus posted discus fish have light blue bodies with black vertical stripes outlined in red. Additionally, there is a black band running across their red and blue eyes.

CheckBoard Red Valentine Discus

This discus fish has a beautiful, intricate red and white design that becomes more complex the lower you go on its body. Their eyes are dark yellow, and the fins and tail have translucent tips.

Spider Leopard Discus

This fish has a white body with spots of various sizes and a light blue tail with tiny unruly white dots. Their eyes are dark black, with a ring of bright blue around the pupil.

White Leopard Discus

The white leopard discus fish is distinguished by its blue and white head, in addition to its striking red and dark yellow eyes. The black hue of the tail and fins creates a beautiful contrast against the rest of the body.

Red Map Discus

The red map discus has a dark crimson body with bright crimson eyes. The tail is transparent white, and the coloration of the body is mostly made up of thick red and blue lines on the body, including the fins.

Albino Leopard Discus

The albino leopard discus has a white and blue body with red spots and patterns, as well as a striped orange head and dark eyes encircled by a deep orange ring.

Fineline Snakeskin Discus

These buddies have red dots and squiggles on their bodies, with a translucent tail. Their eyes are red, with a whitish-blue undertone. From the head to their mouth, they have a solid orange color.

Red Turquoise Discus

This discus fish has a scarlet stripe pattern over a chatoyant greenish-blue background. Its tail is like a tangerine, and the discus’s hues are bright.

Snow Leopard Discus

The Snow Leopard Discus fish has a background color of pale pink, and its body is covered in Pale red leopard discus spots. However, these spots become translucent pink near the anal fin and dorsal fins.

Red Snakeskin Discus

The Red Snakeskin Discus is gracefully exotic, with a colorful snakeskin pattern that extends across its body, fins, and face. Its tranquil beauty captivates anyone with unique combinations of red, blue, yellow, and orange.

Checkerboard Turkish Discus

The Checkerboard Turkish Discus is a beautiful fish with an uncommon color mix of light blue and orange horizontal stripes crossed by black vertical bars on the body and head.

Golden Checkerboard Discus

The Golden Checkerboard Discus is easily identified by a golden middle in its body and white and golden striations extending down the fins and head.

White Dragon Discus

This discus has an orange head and a pearl white body with orange streaks that resemble a dragon.

Pigeon Snakeskin Discus

This strain was created by crossing Snakeskin and Pigeon Blood discus. These variations have blue, orange, red, and yellow spots on their body with a snakeskin-like texture.

Albino Snakeskin

The fish’s name is derived from its bright pink/red coloration, which resembles crimson coral and has red eyes!

Leopard-Skin Discus

The red-spotted green discus was crossed with other mutated variants of itself to produce this particular fish. This new hybridized fish has a light gray background with irregularly-distributed dark red spots.

Golden Leopard Snakeskin Discus

The Golden Leopard discus has beautiful and unique burnt orange, red, and ochre markings. Additionally, the spiky dorsal and ventral fins make it look strong and menacing.

Ring Leopard Discus

This lovely Discus fry has a bright color scheme that includes a blue gradient with red leopard spots and orange eyes, giving it the appearance of wearing a mask.

Leopard Snakeskin Discus

The Leopard Snakeskin Discus has a snakeskin pattern on the body and fins, red spots, and golden flecks, as well as specks that give it a leopard’s appearance.

Mosaic Leopard Discus

The Mosaic Leopard has a wide range of colors, including yellow, orange, and red with jagged spots interspersed throughout.

Tiger Pigeon Discus

The Tiger Pigeon Discus resembles a pigeon discus, with irregular brown stripes on a light blue background color. Also, it has an orange face and black eyes.

Last Words

Discus is some of the most beautiful and majestic creatures in the world. With over 55 different colors, there’s a discus fry for everyone! So go out and find your perfect match today!

Which color is your favorite? Let us know in the comments below!