1 kinds · tap one for a closer look
Peaceful with similar-sized fish; one male per three females is best.
103 species in our list are a good match.
Peaceful with similar-sized fish; one male per three females is best.
Flakes, spirulina and small frozen foods.
Tap a food to see what it is.
Adult males have a gonopodium, a short sword and, when fully developed, a bold tiger pattern; young males look very like females and even show a 'pregnancy spot', so sex only grown fish.
Common problems. Tap one to see the signs. This is a guide, not a diagnosis.
Livebearer · Moderate
Livebearer; harder to keep and breed than the common platy. It crosses with other Xiphophorus such as the platy, so keep it apart from relatives, and keep each population (tail-spot form) pure.
One male to three females.
Planted 60 L tank with hard, alkaline water and floating cover.
Cool water change and good diet.
About 20-50 young per brood after 24-30 days gestation.
Feed crushed flake and baby brine shrimp.
A small, rare platy relative from the upper Río Soto la Marina system in north-eastern Mexico; clearly smaller than the common platy and among the rarest livebearers in the trade.
American geneticist Myron Gordon described this fish in 1932. It is a small platy with a short sword, linking the platies and swordtails.
First described by Myron Gordon in 1932. Named for 'Xiphidium' means little sword.
12 facts checked with sources
Author is Hubbs & Gordon 1934 (often seen as 'Gordon 1932', which was a nomen nudum). Once treated as a subspecies of X. variatus. FishBase common name 'swordtail platyfish'. Not on Seriously Fish.
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Xiphophorus xiphidiumLegacy has no family.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summaryFishBase max 4 cm TL males, 5 cm females; Aquarium Glaser (live fish) about 3 cm males, 4 cm females. Larger figure (5 cm, females) used. Legacy 6 cm too large. No Seriously Fish profile.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summary · Aquarium Glaser (Frank Schäfer): Xiphophorus xiphidiumFishBase 18-25; Glaser advises room temperature without a heater. Legacy 20-26 slightly warm.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summary · Aquarium Glaser (Frank Schäfer): Xiphophorus xiphidiumOnly FishBase gives a range; legacy 7.0-8.2.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summaryNew value; legacy had none. Hard water.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summaryLegacy care 2 (moderate) fits.
Aquarium Glaser (Frank Schäfer): Xiphophorus xiphidiumLegacy has no range field (story names the Rio Soto la Marina, which agrees).
Eschmeyer's Catalog of Fishes: Xiphophorus xiphidium · FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summaryAdds the warning that young males resemble females. The short male sword is implied by the common name and genus but no fetched source describes it directly.
Aquarium Glaser (Frank Schäfer): Xiphophorus xiphidium · FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summaryLegacy 10-30 fry every 4-5 weeks.
FishBase: Xiphophorus xiphidium summary