Characteristics of ornamental platy fish
The ornamental platy fish belong to the tropical livebearers under the family Poeciliidae and have many common characteristics of swordtails, mollies and guppies.These ornamental Xiphophorus maculatus species have been hybridised with swordtails.
These tropical fish are called by various names like moon fish, Southern platy fish, plati etc..
Synonyms include Poecilia maculata, Platypoecilus maculatus, Platypoecilus aurata etc..
The original wild platy were brown to olive color with a little bit of sparkle.
Xiphophorus maculatus have been inter-bred with swordtails and hybridised with other tropical species to such an extend that true lines are rarely available.
However this hybridization has given rise to a great range of colors and different fin shapes in these tropical species.
Sunset, red-wag tail and tuxedo are the most popular varieties in tropical Xiphophorus maculatus species.
Maximum total length recorded in Xiphophorus maculatus has been 4.0 cm for male and 6 cm for female.
These ornamental Xiphophorus maculatus species have been found to gain maturity after 2-3 months and gain a length of 1 - 4 cm.
These tropical ornamental fish are non-migratory and occupy benthopelagic region of the water column.
Xiphophorus maculatus generally live in freshwaters but tolerate salinity. Their preferred pH range is 7 - 8; dH range is 10 - 20.
These tropical ornamental fish are non-migratory and occupy benthopelagic region of the water column.
Xiphophorus maculatus generally live in freshwaters but tolerate salinity. Their preferred pH range is 7 - 8; dH range is 10 - 20.
These tropical pets live in tropical waters at 18°C - 28°C. Xiphophorus maculatus have dorsal soft rays 8 - 10 in number.
The lack of black pigment mid ventrally on the caudal peduncle differentiates them from ornamental tropical swordtails.
The males lack the elongation of the ventral rays of the caudal fin in to a sword.
The gonopodium in the males falls short of the base of the caudal fin and lack membranous protuberance.
Taxonomic hierarchy of tropical ornamental platy
| Kingdom | Animalia -- Animals | ||
| Phylum | Chordata -- chordates | ||
| Subphylum | Vertebrata -- vertebrates | ||
| Superclass | Osteichthyes -- bony fishes | ||
| Class | Actinopterygii -- ray-finned fishes | ||
| Subclass | Neopterygii -- neopterygians | ||
| Infraclass | Teleostei | ||
| Superorder | Acanthopterygii | ||
| Order | Cyprinodontiformes -- cyprinodontes, cyprinodontiforms, cyprinodonts, killifishes | ||
| Suborder | Cyprinodontoidei -- cyprinodontoids | ||
| Family | Poeciliidae -- livebearers, livebearing toothcarps | ||
| Subfamily | Poeciliinae -- livebearers | ||
| Genus | Xiphophorus -- swordtails, platy | ||
| Species | maculatus -- southern platy fish variatus -- variable platy fish |
Distribution of ornamental platy and natural habitat
These ornamental Xiphophorus maculatus species have originated from Central America are found in natural habitats in Mexico, Honduras, Guatemala and northern Belize.Guenther (1866) first found these ornamental fish in Mexico. Adult platy population occur in ditches, canals and springs with weedy banks and silty bottoms with slow flow of water.
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