Sailfin Molly care guide
Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) — minimum tank 120 L, temperature 22-28 °C, pH 7.5-8.5.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) is a large livebearer native to coastal areas of the south-eastern United States and north-eastern Mexico. Mature males display a dramatically enlarged dorsal fin that resembles a sail.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Poecilia
- Scientific name: Poecilia latipinna
Habitat
Inhabits coastal salt marshes, brackish lagoons, slow freshwater streams and ditches from North Carolina south to the Yucatán Peninsula. The species tolerates a wide salinity range and can be kept in fresh, brackish or even marine conditions.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 120 L (31.7 US gal)
- Adult size: 8-15 cm
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F)
- pH: 7.5-8.5
- GH: 15-30 °dGH
- Water flow: moderate
- Lifespan: 3-5 years
Diet
An omnivore with a strong algivorous component. Offer a vegetable-rich diet of flakes or pellets, blanched vegetables (spinach, zucchini) and occasional live or frozen invertebrates.
Compatibility
A peaceful community species. Hard, slightly alkaline or lightly brackish water improves long-term health. Keep one male with two or more females. Compatible with other livebearers and brackish-tolerant peaceful species.
Breeding
A livebearer. Broods of 10-140 fry are produced every four to six weeks. The species can interbreed with other Poecilia.
Sailfin Molly Breeding Guide (Poecilia latipinna)
Overview
The Sailfin Molly (Poecilia latipinna) is a euryhaline livebearer of coastal estuaries, lagoons, deltas and swamps, and it readily breeds in brackish water. Fertilization is internal and no parental care is given.
Sexing
Males develop greatly enlarged dorsal fins and colourful caudal fins as secondary sexual characteristics, while females are larger and more plainly coloured. Fertilization is accomplished by the gonopodium, a structure formed from modified fin elements within the male's anal fin.
Conditioning
Depending on conditions, Sailfin Mollies can become reproductive in less than a year and females may give birth several times per year. Females can store sperm long after their relatively short-lived mates have died.
Breeding Setup
This species naturally inhabits brackish coastal waters and tolerates salinities as high as 87 ppt, so hard, alkaline conditions suit it. Dense planting gives the live fry cover from adults, which provide no care.
Spawning Behavior & Trigger
Fertilization is internal via the gonopodium. Although the sex ratio of broods is balanced, adult populations tend to be predominantly female, and males may live less than a year after reaching sexual maturity.
Birth & Fry Care
Gestation is about three to four weeks, varying with temperature. Broods range from 10 to 140 live young depending on the female's size and maturity. The free-swimming fry should be kept among plants or separately, as no parental care is provided.
Common Challenges
Maintaining suitably hard, alkaline (and optionally brackish) water and protecting fry from being eaten are the main considerations.