Goliad, Texas 77963
Fax 361.645.2258
Email goliadfish@goliadfarms.com
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Goliad Farms, INC. | 8497 FM 622 Goliad, Texas 77963 |
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361.645.2252 Fax 361.645.2258 Email goliadfish@goliadfarms.com |
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Contents
Fish
Mollies (Poecilia) |
Poecilia velifera  Poecilia
velifera, a wild Green Sailfin Molly, is a North American livebearer
related to and in the same genus, Poecilia, as the guppy and other
mollies. ( Click here for a general
discussion of the genus Poecilia.) (
Click here for a general discussion of mollies.) This species is
native to the Yucatan peninsula of Mexico. We recently acquired this
fish from Bobby Ellerman who in turn got it from a recent Clemson University
collection. We intend to maintain it as a species and to use it to improve
our commercial molly strains.
Size: Males reach at least 12.5 cm (5 in.); we aren't sure because our fish are still growing. Females are somewhat larger and much heavier. This fish lives to be about three years of age. Description: Male P. velifera mollies of this population 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 in the center and sky blue or turquoise above and below with a black stripe on the lower margin. The dorsal is immense and has rows of black bars and an orange border. Females have gray-green bodies with many parallel dotted horizontal lines. The top photo is a young male about five months old. As he matures, his body will deepen and his dorsal will enlarge. The bottom photo is of a female who is about four months old. Females don't have the large dorsal fin that is sported by the males and lack most of the brighter colors of the male. This female, as is typical of this population, has rows of orange spots on her white belly. She also has the typical rows of black spotting on her dorsal fin and fainter rows of black spots along her sides.
Temperament: This species 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. 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, except that as one of the few temperate zone livebearers it often ceases breeding during Winter-time's short days. 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 adults are not significant fry eaters, so the fry can be reared with the adults. The fry will, however, usually grow faster if removed from the adults. 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: For additional photos of this species, click on one of the following photo locations: Page last modified May 16, 2007. Copyright © 2007, Goliad Farms, Inc. |
Environment:
This species 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).