Piranhas & Pacus · Pacus & silver dollars

Myloplus aylan

Pereira, Ota, Machado, Collins, Ândrade, Garcia-Ayala, Jégu, Farias & Hrbek in Machado, Pereira, Ota, Collins, Ândrade, Garcia-Ayala et al., 2024

2 cited sourcesName checked against Eschmeyer’s Catalog of Fishes, update of

IUCNNOT EVALUATED
NEnot on the EX–LC scale
CARESNOT LISTED
Type localityLago do Bento, rio Baraúna, Caracaraí municipality, Roraima, Brazil, 01°15'34.4"N, 60°54'32.4"Wper Catalog of Fishes
Genus type speciesMyloplus asteriasdescribed as Myletes asterias Müller & Troschel 1844
Depth—not recorded
DietNot recorded for this species; small invertebrates and prepared foods are accepted by close relatives
BreedingNot recorded for this species
Sexual dimorphismNot documentedNot recorded in available sources
PhotographsSee photosGoogle Images →

Myloplus aylan is a pacu described in 2024 from Lago do Bento on the Rio Baraúna, near Caracaraí in Roraima, Brazil. It is one of several new Myloplus named in a single revision that drew on molecular data, and it has appeared in the trade within a few years of its description.

What's in the name

aylan
  • aylanLatinized — a noun in apposition; the sources used here do not give its derivation

Taxonomy & naming

Myloplus aylan Pereira, Ota, Machado, Collins, Ândrade, Garcia-Ayala, Jégu, Farias & Hrbek in Machado et al., 2024 is the valid name in the Catalog of Fishes. Myloplus is a genus of pacus and silver dollars (Serrasalmidae), and the 2024 paper described a group of new species within it.

Morphology

Morphological detail is not recorded in the sources available to the atlas. Like other Myloplus it is a deep-bodied, laterally compressed pacu. See the original description for diagnostic characters.

Habitat

The type locality is Lago do Bento on the Rio Baraúna, Caracaraí municipality, Roraima, Brazil (about 1°16'N, 60°55'W), in the Rio Branco system of the northern Amazon basin. Further habitat information is not recorded in available sources.

Feeding

Diet in the wild is not recorded for this species. Myloplus are mostly herbivores and frugivores with grinding teeth; large aquarium specimens need vegetable-heavy food.

Mating

Not recorded in available sources.

Breeding

Breeding has not been documented for this species. Silver dollars and pacus in general scatter their eggs, but that describes the group, not this fish.

In the aquarium

Sold by Wet Spot under its scientific name. Adult size is not recorded here, but Myloplus species are generally large, so plan for a big tank and expect them to eat soft plants. Keep a group in warm, clean water.

Conservation

Not evaluated by the IUCN Red List as far as the atlas knows, having been described only in 2024. Pacus are fished for food in much of their range, but nothing is documented for this species.

Common questions

Myloplus aylan: where does it come from?
It is recorded from Brazil.

Sources

  1. FishBase — Myloplus aylan
  2. Catalog of Fishes — Myloplus aylan (Eschmeyer, California Academy of Sciences)

Last reviewed 2026-10-05.

How to cite

Aquarist Atlas (2026). Myloplus aylan. Aquarist Atlas.https://www.aquaristatlas.com/piranhas/myloplus-aylan/

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