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Swordtail





























 

Red Painted Hifin Lyretail Swordtail

    The Red Painted Hifin Lyretail Swordtail is a North American livebearer related to and in the same genus, Xiphophorus, as the platies. ( Click here for a general discussion of the genus Xiphophorus.) (Click here for a general discussion of swordtails) Most commercial strains of swordtails have mixed heritage, including ancestors from X. helleri,  X. maculatus and X. variatus. Commercial swordtails are primarily descended from X. helleri. The top photo is a sexually mature young male. Note the extended gonopodium (anal fin). Although male lyretails produce viable sperm, they cannot inseminate females due to the elongated gonopodium. The bottom photo is a mature female. This strain carries both the hifin and lyretail characteristics. We acquired this strain from a commercial source in 2003.

Size: Males often reach 7.5cm (3 in.), not counting the swordtail. Females are somewhat larger and much heavier.

Environment: This fish 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). 

Temperament: This fish is not aggressive and is active. It can be kept either in a single species aquarium or in active community aquaria with rainbowfish, other livebearers or other fish with similar behavior and requirements.

Spawning: This livebearer breeds like other members of its genus. At 30°C (85°F), broods are delivered about every 28 days. Broods can be as large as 100 fry for mature females. Like other Poeciliidae, the females 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. Adults will eat fry, so they must have some protection such as dense fine-leafed plants to survive. Males are constantly courting and chasing the females, stopping only to spar with other males or eat. Additionally, male swordtails with the lyretail characteristic are functionally sterile, being unable to to inject sperm into the females due to a very elongated gonopodium. We, like most breeders of lyretails, use non-lyretail males of the same strain to breed to lyretail females. Since the lyretail characteristic is a dominant characteristic, matings of non-lyretail males to lyretail females will produce roughly fifty percent lyretails and fifty percent non-lyretails.

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

Page last modified June 5, 2007.

Copyright © 2007, Goliad Farms, LP