The variable platyfish (''Xiphophorus variatus''), also known as variatus platy or variegated platy, is a
species of
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
fish in
family Poecilidae of
order
Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to:
* Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood
* Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of d ...
Cyprinodontiformes. A
live-bearer, it is native to southern
Tamaulipas and northern
Veracruz states in northeastern
Mexico. It is a popular fish in the aquarium trade due to its prolific breeding, as are hybrids with other members of its genus, most notably the
southern platyfish.
Description
The variable platyfish grows to a maximum overall length of 7.0 cm (2.8 in). In the wild, they are olive in colour with black marbling or spots on the side of the
caudal peduncle. Large males show blackish blotches on the
dorsal fin. Unlike some other members of the genus, ''X. variatus'' has no claw at the tip of the fifth
anal fin
Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as se ...
ray. The fourth pectoral ray shows well-developed serrae (saw-like notches). They typically have 20 to 24 lateral scales, 10 to 12 dorsal rays and two rows of jaw teeth.
Males exhibit a more pointed or "needle-like" anal fin whereas the female have a more triangular anal fin.
Range and habitat
The variable platyfish is endemic to the
Atlantic slope of
Mexico from southern
Tamaulipas south to northern
Veracruz. It is considered uncommon across its range. The species has also been
introduced and become established in a number of locales, largely due to releases related to the aquariums trade. In the
United States, they have been established in canals along the eastern shore of
Tampa Bay,
Florida, as well as in
Gainesville. They are also naturalised in springs in the counties of
Beaverhead
Beaverhead County is the largest County (United States), county by area in the U.S. state of Montana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 9,371. Its county seat is Dillon, Montana, Dillon. The county was founded ...
,
Granite and
Madison in
Montana.
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
, Singapore, and Hong Kong,[ Omnivorous, its diet includes both plants and small crustaceans, insects, and ]annelid
The annelids (Annelida , from Latin ', "little ring"), also known as the segmented worms, are a large phylum, with over 22,000 extant species including ragworms, earthworms, and leeches. The species exist in and have adapted to various ecol ...
worms.
Aquarium trade
The variable platyfish is bred commercially for the aquarium
An aquarium (plural: ''aquariums'' or ''aquaria'') is a vivarium of any size having at least one transparent side in which aquatic plants or animals are kept and displayed. Fishkeepers use aquaria to keep fish, invertebrates, amphibians, aq ...
hobby. It is popular due to its often colourful and variable patterns and its ability to survive in cooler waters than other fish; it can comfortably live at temperatures between . The species has also been used in genetic research.
References
*
*
{{Taxonbar, from=Q265715
Live-bearing fish
Ovoviviparous fish
Xiphophorus
Freshwater fish of Mexico
Taxa named by Seth Eugene Meek
Fish described in 1904