Goliad Farms, LP - Poecilia 'Peaches and Cream Sailfin Molly'

The Peaches and Cream 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.) Most commercial strains of mollies have mixed heritage, including ancestors from Poecilia latipinna, P. velifera, P. sphenops and P. mexicana. We developed this strain from a color mutation in our Pigeon Blood Sailfin Molly strain, which we no longer produce. A male from our Peaches and Cream Sailfin Molly strain took third place in its class at the 2004 ALA show in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

Size: Males often reach 12.5cm (5 in.). Females are somewhat larger and much heavier.

Description: Both sexes have cream colored bodies and fins with occasional black spots. We are trying to breed out the black entirely. Males also often have orange heads and fronts of the body. The male's caudal (tail) sometimes has sky blue highlights. The male's dorsal fin is immense. The bodies of both sexes are partially covered with peach colored squiggles, the "peaches" of the strain's name. The top photo is a mature male. The second photo is a female representative of the strain at this time. The third photo is a very young male (about two and half months ago) and he is typical of the coloration of the strain at present.

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 species can tolerate full marine water and likes some salt added to its water.

Geographic Range: This fish has no natural range, but of its ancestors hail from North 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. It survives very well with non-predatory African cichlids.

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 mature females. Like other Poeciliidae, the females 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 June 14, 2006