Chiapas swordtail

Chiapas swordtail
Chiapas Swordtail
Conservation status
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Xiphophorus
Species: X. alvarezi
Binomial name
Xiphophorus alvarezi
Rosen, 1960

The Chiapas Swordtail (Upland Swordtail) or Xiphophorus alvarezi is a livebearing freshwater fish of the Order Cyprinodontiformes, family Poeciliidae, and genus Xiphophorus. It is, therefore, in the same genus as the Common Platyfish and the Swordtail. Xiphophorus means sword-tail in Greek. The Chiapas swordtail was discovered and first described by Donn E. Rosen in 1960, along with four other species of Xiphophorus.

Description

Growing to a maximum length of around 7.5 cm, the females are larger in size than the male. The genus Xiphophorus is common in freshwater aquariums, though the Chiapas swordtail is not a marketed fish.

Ideal, suitable conditions for Chiapas Swordtails include a water temperature of around 25 - 28 °C. These are obviously benthopelagic fish. Water pH should range from 7.2 to 8.1. They are quite resilient fish. They come from Central America. Major population sites include Southern Mexico and Huehuetenango, El Quiche, and Alta Veracruz, Guatemala. They are often found in fast-flowing rivers. In nature, schools of more females than males are common, and enjoy dense aquatic foliage to give birth in. They reproduce quickly and prefer live foods and aquatic plants.

References

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