All fish / Poeciliidae

Muzquiz platyfish

Xiphophorus continens

Also known as muzquiz platy, continens platy, el quince swordtail, xiphophorus continens

This is a small, plain olive to silvery livebearer belonging to the northern swordtail group, although the males have no sword. Specialist livebearer keepers value it because its wild range is tiny and it is rarely kept, so captive populations help to conserve it.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Peaceful

Adult size

3.5 cm

Temperature

20 to 26 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

40 litres

Keep as

Small group of 5 or more, more females than males

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 3 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mexico: upper Río Pánuco basin (Río Tamesí/El Quince springs, San Luis Potosí)

Breeding

It is a livebearer. Females produce small broods of fry after internal fertilisation. It breeds readily in a planted tank with cool, clean, well-oxygenated water, but its broods are smaller than those of the common platy.

Good to know

The species is threatened in the wild, so keep collection-locality lines pure and do not cross them with other Xiphophorus. It needs clean, cool, hard water and copes poorly with heat.