All fish / Poeciliidae

Highland Swordtail

Xiphophorus malinche

Also known as malinche swordtail, highland swordtail, sierra swordtail, 马林切剑尾鱼

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This small wild swordtail from cool, fast mountain streams in Mexico has an olive to golden body with dark spotting and a black lateral line, and males carry a short dark-edged sword. Hobbyists who keep wild livebearers like it for its natural looks, and scientists study it because it hybridises naturally with Xiphophorus birchmanni.

Care at a glance

Care level

Moderate

Temperament

Semi

Adult size

5.5 cm

Temperature

16 to 24 °C

pH

7 to 8

Smallest tank

100 litres

Keep as

Group of 1 male to 2 or 3 females, or a larger group

Diet

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

Swims

Middle of the tank

Lifespan

2 to 4 years

Water

Freshwater

Wild range

Mexico: upper Río Pánuco basin (Hidalgo highlands)

Breeding

It is a livebearer, with females giving birth to small broods of fry after roughly four weeks. Breeding is straightforward if water is kept cool and well oxygenated, and dense plants help fry escape being eaten.

Good to know

It needs cooler, highly oxygenated water than most tropical swordtails and does poorly in warm tanks. Keep it apart from other Xiphophorus to avoid hybrids, and males can squabble.