Goliad Farms, LP - Poecilia latipinna

Goliad Farms, LP

8497 FM 622
Goliad, Texas 77963

Voice 361.645.2252
Fax 361.645.2258
Email goliadfish@goliadfarms.com

Contents

Fish

Mollies (Poecilia)

Poecilia latipinna, Coleto Creek 98/4

Poecilia latipinna, a wild Green Sailfin Molly, is a North American livebearer related to and in the same genus, Poecilia, as the guppy and other mollies. ( Click here for a general discussion of the genus Poecilia.) ( Click here for a general discussion of mollies.) The "Coleto Creek" designation represents the location that the original breeders of this species were collected. The "98/4" term indicates the date of that collection. The males of the fish of P. latipinna, Coleto Creek carry their dorsal fins high and are useful for crossing to other mollies to improve both dorsal size and carriage as well as to improve cold hardiness. We have used this fish to dramatically improve commercial molly strains.

Size: Males reach 12.5cm (5 in.). Females are somewhat larger and much heavier. This fish lives to be about three years of age.

Description: Male P. latipinna mollies of this population have gray-lavender to gray-green bodies with many parallel dotted horizontal lines. Often, the head and front of the body are orange. The caudal (tail) is orange in the center and sky blue or turquoise above and below. The dorsal is immense and has rows of black bars and an orange border. Females have gray-green bodies with many parallel dotted horizontal lines. The top photo is a mature male about six months old. Despite the fact that these fish usually hold their dorsal fins erect, this male refused to pose. The front half of his dorsal is laying down. He shows the faint vertical paar marks on his side against the white belly that are typical of this population of the species. The bottom photo is of a female who is about four months old. Females don't have the large dorsal fin that is sported by the males and lack most of the brighter colors of the male. This female, as is typical of this population, has rows of orange spots on her white belly. She also has the typical rows of black spotting on her dorsal fin and fainter rows of black spots along her sides. Females lack the paar marks typical of the males.

Environment: This species tolerates pHs from 6.5 to 8.0 while preferring the higher end (basic) of this range. Water hardness is not critical, but it prefers hard water. Optimum temperature ranges from 20-30°C (68-85°F), although it can tolerate extremes of 4-35°C (41-94°F). This species can tolerate full marine water and likes some salt added to its water. This fish is cold hardy across the south and southwest of the United States and areas with similar climates.

Geographic Range: This species range from the Carolinas to South Texas in North America. It lives in brackish to fresh water in estuaries and coastal streams. This particular population is native to Coleto Creek, a tributary of the Guadalupe River which arises in the Texas Hill Country west of San Antonio. Coleto Creek is a sandy-bottomed perennial coastal stream which runs through Texas coastal prairies in Goliad and Victoria counties between Houston and Corpus Christi.

Temperament: This species is not aggressive (although males can be quarrelsome among themselves) and is active. It can be kept either in a large single species aquarium or in active community aquaria with rainbowfish, other livebearers or other fish with similar behavior and requirements. We have successfully kept this fish with African cichlids where they occupy the top third of the aquarium.

Feeding: Feeding is simple with the fish taking prepared foods as well as live and frozen foods. Periodic feedings of Daphnia or other live foods are helpful in color maintenance, general health and breeding. This species also requires vegetable material in its diet that can be supplied by feeding a commercial food or by providing algae, lettuce, cucumbers or fine leaved aquatic plants (Lemna, duckweed, is a good food).

Spawning: This livebearer breeds like other members of its genus, except that as one of the few temperate zone livebearers it often ceases breeding during Winter-time's short days. At 30°C (85°F), broods are delivered about every 28 days. Broods can be as large as 200 fry for large females. Like other Poeciliidae, the females of this species can store sperm and have as many as 8 broods from a single mating. The fry are large and can eat commercial food, Daphnia, brine shrimp nauplii, etc. immediately. The adults are not significant fry eaters, so the fry can be reared with the adults. The fry will, however, usually grow faster if removed from the adults. The male uses its immense dorsal fin during courtship.

Additional Information: For more information about this species, click on one of the following article names:
The Livebearer Column - Mollies by Dwight Moody

Additional Photos: For additional photos of this species, click on one of the following photo locations:

Page last modified May 16, 2007.