All fish / Poeciliidae

Gill's molly

Poecilia gillii

Also known as gill's molly, gilli molly, poecilia gilli, central american molly, black-bellied molly, 吉氏花鳉

This is a wild molly from Central America with an olive to silvery body. Males often show yellow or orange edges on their fins and rows of dark spots. It is kept mainly by livebearer enthusiasts who like natural species and locality forms rather than the man-made fancy mollies.

Care at a glance

Care level

Easy

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

7 cm

Temperature

22 to 30 °C

pH

7 to 8.2

Smallest tank

80 litres

Keep as

Group of 5 or more, with more females than males

Diet

Omnivore: algae, vegetable flakes, small live and frozen foods

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Central America, from southern Mexico and Guatemala to Panama, plus Colombia

Breeding

Like other livebearers, the female gives birth to live young after internal fertilisation, usually every four to six weeks. It breeds readily in captivity, and dense plants help the fry avoid being eaten by the adults.

Good to know

It needs hard, alkaline water and plenty of plant matter in the diet. It can hybridise with other molly species, so keep locality stocks apart.