Xiphophorus
| Xiphophorus | |
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| Green swordtail, Xiphophorus hellerii | |
| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Poeciliidae |
| Genus: | Xiphophorus Heckel, 1848 |
| Species | |
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See text. |
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Xiphophorus is a genus of euryhaline and freshwater fishes in the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. The many Xiphophorus species are all called either platyfish (or platies) or swordtails. The type species is X. hellerii, the Green swordtail. Platyfish and swordtails are Live-bearers, meaning that they reproduce via internal fertilization. Three species and their hybrids are common in the aquarium trade: the Green swordtail, the Southern platyfish (X. maculatus) and the Variable platyfish (X. variatus).
The various Xiphophorus species are native to areas of Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, and especially Mexico. All small fishes, they reach maximum lengths of 2.5–14 cm (1.0–5.5 in).
IUCN lists two Xiphophorus species, the Marbled swordtail (X. meyeri) and the Northern platyfish (X. gordoni), as Endangered, while the Monterrey platyfish (X. couchianus) is listed as Critically Endangered.
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[edit] Human Uses
Xiphophorus species are regularly used in genetic studies and scientists have developed many interspecific hybrids. The Xiphophorus Genetic stock center, founded by Dr Myron Gordon in 1939 is an important source of these fish for research.
[edit] Aquaculture
In addition, several species are commonly kept by aquarium hobbyists, especially X. helleri, X. maculatus and X. variatus. In fact, these are a key category in fishkeeping, a group of extremely hardy livebearing fish, along with the molly and guppy, that adapt to almost any water conditions, from cold to tropical, freshwater to fully marine. Unlike many species, these are available almost completely as captive-raised, because of the ease with which they breed.
The name Xiphophorus derives from the Greek words ξίφος (sword) and φόρος (bearer).
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[edit] Species
FishBase lists 28 valid species:
- Chiapas swordtail, Xiphophorus alvarezi Rosen, 1960.
- Spiketail platyfish, Xiphophorus andersi Meyer & Schartl, 1980.
- Sheepshead swordtail, Xiphophorus birchmanni Lechner & Radda, 1987.
- Yellow swordtail, Xiphophorus clemenciae Alvarez, 1959.
- Short-sword platyfish, Xiphophorus continens Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990.
- Delicate swordtail, Xiphophorus cortezi Rosen, 1960.
- Monterrey platyfish, Xiphophorus couchianus (Girard, 1859).
- Puebla platyfish, Xiphophorus evelynae Rosen, 1960.
- Northern platyfish, Xiphophorus gordoni Miller & Minckley, 1963.
- Green swordtail, Xiphophorus hellerii Heckel, 1848.
- Xiphophorus kallmani Meyer & Schartl, 2003.
- Xiphophorus kosszanderi Meyer & Wischnath, 1981.
- Southern platyfish, Xiphophorus maculatus (Günther, 1866).
- Highland swordtail, Xiphophorus malinche Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990.
- Xiphophorus mayae Meyer & Schartl, 2002.
- Marbled swordtail, Xiphophorus meyeri Schartl & Schröder, 1988.
- Catemaco platyfish, Xiphophorus milleri Rosen, 1960.
- Mixe swordtail, Xiphophorus mixei Kallman, Walter, Morizot & Kazianis, 2004.
- Montezuma swordtail, Xiphophorus montezumae Jordan & Snyder, 1899.
- Xiphophorus monticolus Kallman, Walter, Morizot & Kazianis, 2004.
- Xiphophorus multilineatus Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990.
- Mountain swordtail, Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990.
- Panuco swordtail, Xiphophorus nigrensis Rosen, 1960.
- Pygmy swordtail, Xiphophorus pygmaeus Hubbs & Gordon, 1943.
- Xiphophorus roseni Meyer & Wischnath, 1981.
- Xiphophorus signum Rosen & Kallman, 1969.
- Variable platyfish, Xiphophorus variatus (Meek, 1904).
- Swordtail platyfish, Xiphophorus xiphidium (Gordon, 1932).
[edit] Further reading
- Froese, Rainer, and Daniel Pauly, eds. (2004). Species of Xiphophorus in FishBase. October 2004 version.
- "Xiphophorus". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=165919. Retrieved 9 December 2004.
[edit] External links
- xiphophorus.org
- xiphophorus.net(Chinese ver.)
