Goliad Farms, LP - Poecilia 'Green Sailfin Molly'

Goliad Farms, INC.

8497 FM 622
Goliad, Texas 77963

Voice 361.645.2252
Fax 361.645.2258
Email goliadfish@goliadfarms.com

Contents

Fish

Mollies (Poecilia)

Poecilia sp. 'Green Sailfin Molly'

The Green Sailfin Molly is an aquarium strain of hybrid mollies. Parental species include Poecilia latipinna (click here for information about this species), P. velifera and possibly other molly species (click here for information about mollies). This molly strain is derived from various crosses we have produced using wild P. latipinna to improve commercial molly strains. It is not a natural species although it closely resembles some of the wild sailfin molly species.

Size: Males reach 12.5cm (5 in.). Females grow somewhat larger and much heavier. This fish lives to be about three years old.

Description: Male green sailfin mollies have gray-lavender to gray-green bodies with many parallel dotted horizontal lines. Often, the head and front of the body are orange. The caudal (tail) is orange and sky blue. The dorsal is immense and has rows of black bars with a an orange border. Females have gray-green bodies with many parallel dotted horizontal lines and rows of orange spotting on the white belly. The top photo is of a mature male about four inches long. He is about ten months old and will continue to grow until he dies over two years from now. His massive dorsal is folded in this photo, but is usually carried erect and is used to threaten other males and to display while courting females. This female (bottom photo) is about six months old and has the typical coloration of females of this strain.

Environment: This fish tolerates pHs from 6.5 to 8.0 while preferring the higher end (basic) of this range. Water hardness is not critical, but it prefers hard water. Optimum temperature ranges from 20-30°C (68-85°F). This fish is not as cold hardy as P. latipinna since it has genes from P. velifera, which is a tropical molly.

Geographic Range: This fish has no natural range since it is a hybrid among species that range from the Carolinas to Central America.

Temperament: This fish is not aggressive (although males can be quarrelsome among themselves) and is active. It can be kept either in a large single species aquarium or in active community aquaria with rainbowfish, other livebearers or other fish with similar behavior and requirements. We have successful maintained this fish with African cichlids where they occupy the top third of the water column.

Feeding: Feeding is simple with the fish taking prepared foods as well as live and frozen foods. Periodic feedings of Daphnia or other live foods are helpful in color maintenance, general health and breeding. This species also requires vegetable material in its diet that can be supplied by feeding a commercial food or by providing algae, lettuce, cucumbers or fine leaved aquatic plants (Lemna, duckweed, is a good food).

Spawning: This livebearer breeds like other members of its genus. At 30°C (85°F), broods are delivered about every 28 days. Broods can be as large as 200 fry for large females. Like other Poeciliidae, the females of this species can store sperm and have as many as 8 broods from a single mating. The fry are large and can eat commercial food, Daphnia, brine shrimp nauplii, etc. immediately. The male uses its immense dorsal fin during courtship.

Additional Information: For more information about this species, click on one of the following article names:
The Livebearer Column - Mollies by Dwight Moody

Additional Photos: None at present.

Page last modified May 16, 2007.