All fish / Poeciliidae

Liberty molly

Poecilia salvatoris

Also known as liberty molly, salvador molly, el salvador molly, poecilia sp. liberty, liberty sailfin molly, リバティーモーリー, 自由摩利

A small, wild-type molly from Central America whose males show an iridescent blue-silver body with a large dorsal fin edged in orange, red and black. It is kept for those striking male colours and active display behaviour, and is popular with livebearer enthusiasts who prefer natural forms over hybrids.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

6 cm

Temperature

24 to 30 °C

pH

7 to 8.5

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Group of 1 male to 3 or more females

Diet

Omnivore: algae and vegetable-based flakes, spirulina, plus small live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp and bloodworm

Swims

Top of the tank

Lifespan

3 to 5 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Pacific slope of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua

Breeding

A livebearer that gives birth to small batches of fully formed fry roughly every four weeks. Breeding is easy in hard, warm water, and fry survive best with dense plants or a separate rearing tank.

Good to know

Males can be quarrelsome with each other and may nip fins of slow tankmates, so keep one male or a large group with plenty of females. Often confused with or hybridised with Poecilia mexicana and other short-finned mollies, so buy from breeders who keep lines pure.