Lyretail Swordtail Care Guide
The Lyretail Swordtail is a selectively bred form of Xiphophorus hellerii, a livebearer of Mexico and Central America in which males bear a sword-like caudal extension.
Overview
The Lyretail Swordtail is a selectively bred ornamental form with extended lyre-shaped fins, derived from Xiphophorus hellerii (the green swordtail). The species name refers to the elongated lower lobe of the male's caudal fin. Captive breeding has produced many color varieties of this livebearer for the aquarium hobby.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Xiphophorus
- Scientific name: Xiphophorus helleri var. Lyretail
- Base species: Xiphophorus hellerii (accepted spelling on FishBase/Wikipedia)
- Note: the lyretail form is a captive-bred ornamental variety, not a separate species
Habitat
The base species ranges from Veracruz in Mexico to northwestern Honduras. It prefers swift-flowing, heavily vegetated rivers and streams and is also found in warm springs and canals.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 100 L
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.0-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
An omnivore. Its diet includes both plant material and small crustaceans, insects and annelid worms. In the aquarium it accepts a varied diet of dried, live and frozen foods with vegetable content.
Compatibility
A generally peaceful, active mid-water swimmer. It is well suited to hard-water community tanks with other livebearers such as platies. The long-finned lyretail form should be kept away from fin-nippers.
Breeding
A livebearer. Females can become pregnant without intervention whenever both sexes are present, and they release broods of free-swimming young.