Xiphophorus hellerii
| Common Names: | Swordtail |
| Synonyms: | Poecilia helleri Xiphophorus brevis Xiphophorus guentheri Xiphophorus guntheri Xiphophorus helleri Xiphophorus helleri brevis Xiphophorus helleri helleri Xiphophorus helleri strigatus Xiphophorus hellerii guentheri Xiphophorus jalapae Xiphophorus rachovii Xiphophorus strigatus |
| Family: | Poeciliidae |
| Category: | Livebearers |
| Distribution: | America - Central; Atlantic coast of Mexico, Belize, and Honduras. |
| Main Ecosystem: | Stream; Stream |
| Temperament: | Peaceful; Peaceful. Excellent for community tanks or for people new to the hobby. |
| Diet: | Herbivore; Herbivore |
| Care: | Feed with flakes or algae. Some salt in the water will do the fish good. Swordtails need lots of swimming room, as they are very active fish, and grow rather large for livebearers. Otherwise, they are very easy fish to keep. |
| pH: |
|
| Temperature: |
|
| Hardness: |
|
| Potential Size: | Male: 12cm (4.7") Female: 12cm (4.7") |
| Water Region: | Middle, Surface |
| Activity: | Diurnal; Diurnal |
| Gender: | Sex can be easily determined by the male's modified anal fin (gonopodium) and by the male's long extension on the bottom half of the tail fin. Females grow larger and have a more rounded body. |
| Breeding: | Swordtails are livebearers. Many plants including floating plants are essential for the survival of the baby Swordtails, as the parents often try to eat their fry. Breeding comes naturally to livebearers, so virtually no effort is needed to breed them. The babies should be removed as soon as they are free swimming to a separate tank to ensure their survival. |
| Variants: | Many varieties of Swordtails are available including: Simpson, with a larger dorsal fin; Wagtail and Tuxedo, with black on its tail and body; and Lyretail, one of the most popular varieties because of its excellent finnage. |
| Comments: | Many varieties of Swordtails are available including: Simpson, with a larger dorsal fin; Wagtail and Tuxedo, with black on its tail and body; and Lyretail, one of the most popular varieties because of its excellent finnage. |
| Main Colours: | Red, Green, Orange |
| Markings: | Not Specified |
| Mouth: | Upturned |
| Tail: | Convex |
| Search: | Show similar species Find compatible species |
| Image Credit: | © FishProfiles.com |
| Submitted By: | Adam |
| Contributors: | weird22person |
| History: | View changes to this profile |
| Edit Profile: |