All fish / Poeciliidae

Cauca molly

Poecilia caucana

Also known as cauca molly, south american molly, caucana molly

A small, silvery livebearer that looks like a slim, short-finned molly, often with yellowish fins and dark edging on the dorsal fin in males. It is kept by livebearer enthusiasts as a hardy, peaceful wild-type species that is rarely seen in shops, unlike the common hybrid mollies.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

4.5 cm

Temperature

22 to 28 °C

pH

7 to 8.2

Smallest tank

60 litres

Keep as

Group of 6 or more, with more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: algae, vegetable-based flakes, small live and frozen foods such as daphnia and bloodworm

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Colombia and Venezuela (Cauca, Magdalena and Lake Maracaibo basins), also Panama

Breeding

A livebearer whose females give birth to small batches of fully formed fry roughly every four weeks. It breeds readily in a planted tank, and dense plants or floating cover help the fry avoid being eaten by the adults.

Good to know

Prefers hard, alkaline water and tolerates a little salt; keep it apart from other Poecilia species to avoid hybridisation and keep the wild strain pure.