What fish is this?

Fujimoto

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 15, 2021
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Hi! So I’ve had a fish in my tank for a while now, but im beginning to doubt that I actually know what it is. It’s supposed to be a female swordtail, but it dosent look like any swordtail I’ve ever seen as its grey. I heard it may be a green swordtail, does anyone know what that is? The store where I purchased it said it was a swordtail and it looked like one at first but now im not too sure. It gave birth to one baby shortly after I brought it home, and the baby dosent have a sword either. I know they could just be females, but they pay no attention to the male swordtail in the tank with them and also neither one has gotten pregnant again. Both the fishes have very domineering personalities. Oh also the baby is grey just like the mother. They also have iridescent pinkish greenish blueish stripes along their lateral lines that are hard to see in the pictures. Thank you!!!!!

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Deadeye

POTM Curator
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Aug 31, 2020
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Could be a mosquitofish, but the body does seem very swordtail like.
 
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duanes

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Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
Here are a couple female Xiphorus mayae , a natural color, wild type swordtail to compare.
There are 26 separate species, and many color variations even among the wild type, and more when you add in the line bred, man made creations, there could be hundreds of breeds.


And just for grins, some mosquito fish, Gambusia chagrasi.
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jjohnwm

Sausage Finger Spam Slayer
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Mar 29, 2019
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Sure look like green swords to me. That first pic threw me for a second; not common to see one that old that isn't pregnant. :)

One of my favourite livebearers despite (or more accurately because of...) the fact that they aren't short bodies or balloons, have normal fins, don't glow in the dark, have only one head, etc. They're just the way they are in the wild. :)
 
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