AY Honors/Fishes/Answer Key

For the genus of butterflies commonly known as swordtails, see Graphium.

The Green swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) is a species of freshwater fish in family Poecilidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. A live-bearer, it is closely related to the southern platyfish or "platy" (X. maculatus) and can interbreed with it. It is native to an area of North and Central America stretching from Veracruz, Mexico, to northwestern Honduras. The green swordtail is the most common of the swordtail species.

Cultivated form of X. hellerii.

The name "swordtail" derives form the elongated lower lobe of the male's caudal fin (tailfin). The male green swordtail grows to a maximum overall length of 14cm (5.5in), and the female will to 16 cm (6.3 in),although when kept in a freshwater aquarium, they will not grow over 5 inches. Determing the gender of a swordtail is easy, for the males have the "Swordtail" and the females do not.

The wild color of this speicies is olive green , with a red or brown lateral stripe and speckles on the dorsal and sometimes on the caudal fins. The male's "sword" is yellow, with a black edge on the bottom, but captive breeding has produced many colors and varieties, including black, red, mickey mouse, red velevt, pineapple, and many patterns for the aquarium hobby.

In the wild, the green swordtail prefers swift-flowing, heavily-vegetated rivers and streams. When kept in captivity, the swordtail enjoys a planted, 20 gallon+ aquarium. It is a communtiy fish, and can be kept with most other freshwater fish including other livebearers such as mollies and platies. Omnivorous, its diet includes both plants and small crustaceans, insects, and annelid worms.

One of the most popular tropical aquarium fish, the swordtail has been bred into various hybrid forms for the aquarium hobby due to its hardiness and suitability for community tanks.

The green swordtail, is typically known simply as the swordtail in the aquarium hobby. It is often designated X. helleri (with one i), but authorities consider this an orthographic error and the spelling with two is is the valid specific epithet.

This fish is great for begginer aqarists, and will breed readily in a community tank.

References

• Template:FishBase species
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