Breeding Chiapas Swordtail (Xiphophorus Alvarezi) In The Aquarium

Location

This freshwater fish lives in fast-moving rivers in Mexico and Guatemala.

Body description

Colour of the body is beige with green and blue shine. There are horizontal red stripes on the sides of the fish. The caudal and dorsal fins have red dots. Male has elongated bottom rays of the caudal fin which looks like a sword. This "sword" is yellow with black border. Male has also the anal fin transformed into the gonopodium – external copulatory organ. Female is larger and thicker than male.

Temperament and behaviour

This is an active and friendly species. It should be kept with other peaceful and similar size fish. You shouldn’t keep these fish with other species from the same family – other sword-tail fish because they will mate with each other creating hybrids. Males of this species in the group form social hierarchy. The dominant can attack and chase other males so you need to keep group of minimum 5 males so the aggression spreads equally or you should keep single male and few females.

Aquarium decoration

This species prefers a spacious tanks. Aquarium should have space to swim, hiding-places among plants, roots and rocks, strong light, effective filtration system and oxygen-rich water. A partial water exchange should be done regularly.

Breeding

This is a live-bearer species – fertilization is internal. The spawning is preceded by intense courtships. The pregnant female can be recognized by the dark pregnant-spot on her belly. This spot becomes bigger with time. You should transfer the pregnant female to a separate tank. The parents don’t take care for the offspring and they can eat the fry. The gestation period of the female lasts about 1 month. The fry appears in the aquarium after this time. The fry starts to swim and feed straight away.