Silver Dollar Tetra

Silver Dollar Tetra

Offered for sale is an approximate 4” by 6” hand colored lithograph from Fishes of British Guiana edited by William Jardine and published between 1841 and 1843.  The print comes matted and mounted in acid free archival materials.

The fish Tetragonopterus schomburgkii was historically described by Sir William Jardine in 1841. Modern taxonomy now recognizes it as Myloplus schomburgkii. Its common name is the Disk Tetra or Silver Dollar Tetra, reflecting its round, laterally compressed body shape. This species is native to South American freshwater systems, including the Amazon Basin.

The specific artist credited with illustrating Fishes of British Guiana was Edward Angelo Goodall. In 1841, Goodall was appointed by the British government as the official artist for the Guyana (then British Guiana) Boundary Expedition under Sir Robert Schomburgk. During that expedition, he produced a wealth of watercolours and sketches documenting the region’s natural environment, including its vibrant aquatic life. These detailed images later formed a crucial part of the work edited by Sir William Jardine, helping to bring the ichthyological diversity of British Guiana to a wider audience.