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Livebearers
/ Poeciliidae / Variegated Platy
Variegated Platy, Variatus Platy
Xiphophorus variatus | Pictures
Synonyms: Platypoecilus
maculatus dorsalis,
P. variatus,
P. variegatus
Physical description: An elongated fish with a fan-shaped caudal fin.
The back is slightly arched, and the
belly is full.
The body coloration is variable, even on the original strain.
Usually the flanks are yellowish to
orange, to bluish with black spots.
The dorsal fin is generally yellow and the caudal fin is red.
Females
are generally less colorful.
Size/Length: Males to 2" (5 cm), females to 2.7" (7 cm)
Similar species: Other Xiphophorus
species.
Habitat: Inhabits shallow, slow-moving rivers in Southern Mexico.
S: middle
Aquarium: A tank measuring 20" (51 cm) with a capacity of 10 gallons (38 L) is sufficient.
Follow
suggestions for X. maculatus
.
Water chemistry: pH 7-8.3 (7.5), 12-30 dH (16), 68-79°F (20-26°C)
Social behavior: A peaceful fish recommended for a community tank.
Suggested companions: Colisa
, Corydoras
, Poecilia
, Xiphophorus,
Loricarids, some tetras tolerant of harder, alkaline water.
FOOD: Flakes; small pellets; algae; live; insects, insect larvae, worms, Brine Shrimp
SEX: Males are smaller with a gonopodium.
Breeding techniques: After a gestation period of four to seven weeks, a female will have 20-150 young.
The
female should be isolated prior to having the young, and the temperature should be raised to 72-81°F (22-27°C).
Start
feeding with crushed flakes and Artemia
nauplii.
The young are sexually mature at six or seven months.
Breeding potential: 2.
An easily bred fish.
Remarks: Numerous cultivated varieties are available including the Marigold, Sunset, Black, and
High-finned forms.
Difficulty of care: 1.
A robust species suitable for a beginner.
Recent articles about fish
Overfishing may hurt Amazon forest trees
(2/5/2008) Overfishing is reducing the effectiveness of seed dispersal by fish in the Brazilian Pantanal, reports Nature. The research suggests that fishing practices can affect forest health.
Scientists find fish that literally lives in trees
(10/17/2007) Scientists have found a fish that literally lives in trees, according to research published in The American Naturalist and highlighted in New Scientist Magazine.
Piranhas originated when Amazon was flooded by seawater
(12/4/2007) South America's piranha family of fish -- notorious as eaters of flesh -- can be traced back to a single ancestor which dispersed when the Amazon was flooded by seawater some five million years ago, report researchers from the Institut de Recherche Pour le Developpement (IRD). Today piranhas are exclusively freshwater fish found from the Orinoco River basin in Venezuela to the Parana in Argentina.
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