Three Dollar Types

Here are some ok pictures I got today of the three kinds of dollars, eastern, western and pennisular Florida. The eastern is the one with the very light pelvic fins. The western is the redest one with blue flecks on its "ear". The other is the Florida. Its a young fish, so not the best.

For some reason I am having some trouble getting blues to come out with the camera again.

Nice fish! First time I've seen a Peninsular Dollar.

The eastern is the one with the very light pelvic fins.

The pelvic fins look about the same on all of them to me. Which one do you mean?

Top is the Eastern, middle is the Western, and bottom is the Florida. I do not have the Florida strain but something I have noticed on the other two is the pelvic fins of the easterns seem to have these long extensions off the fins in the form of very long first rays. The Western does not seem to have this.

Very interesting Ray, another open door for interesting arguments along with the megalotis trio. I had no clue the dollars are that diverse as well.

Sorry about relying on the color of the pelvic fins on the easterns. For some reason I was having trouble getting blues to show up with the camera yesterday. The easterns blue on the fins is a powder blue, pretty intense, gives the appearance of being almost white. I guess my eyes kind of fill in what I am used to seeing.

The western dollars blue should look a bit darker than that, on that fish a medium turquoise, similar to the body spots and wavy lines on the cheeks. The blue on male westerns fins can get navy blue on the bottom, but the unpaireds stays a medium electric blue.

That FL is young, but thier blue on the fins is a darker green blue, and can turn nearly black.

Not showing well in the pictures, especially the FL is how intense the blue wavy lines on the phase are.

I have had western with some fin extension, but not quite as long as the eastern in these pictures. I have had both easterns and FL. get much longer extensions. The Fl. was the clear winner, with one male I had had extensions a bit longer the main fin itself.

Those extensions on the fins were something I noticed on my adult male eastern dollars and it's interesting to hear I'm not the only one that has noticed those.

Those extensions on the fins were something I noticed on my adult male eastern dollars and it's interesting to hear I'm not the only one that has noticed those.

I've also noticed them, and I personally think they add some beauty to the fish.