Title: Aquatic life
Identifier: aquaticlife219161917baus (find matches)
Year: 1916-1917 (1910s)
Authors: Bausman, Joseph E
Subjects: Aquariums; Fish culture
Publisher: Philadelphia : J. E. Bausman
Contributing Library: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library
Digitizing Sponsor: Harvard University, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Ernst Mayr Library

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98 <aqaattc %iU Since 1912 we have received—always from Germany, and never direct from the native country—sundry other varieties or forms of Xiphophorus: X. jalapae, recog- nized by the rich orange-red single lateral stripe on the male, and paler yellowish- orange stripe on the female (the single stripe of helleri is more a brownish-red) ; X. rachovii, a form from Guatemala with a double red stripe on the sides of both sexes, several narrow blackish vertical bles hrevis, but has a blackish blotch at the base of the tail, as in rachovii. Only the male swordtails, with very few ex- ceptions, possess the extension of the lower rays of the tail-fin, from which they derive the common name. So much for the outward markings and colora- tions of the forms with which we are familiar. The distinctions I have given will serve to identify the ones apt to be met.
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T^ppical SvJordtail (upper) and Two Variants stripes, and a blackish double spot or "half moon" mark at the base of the tail; X. strigatus with a blackish lateral line from the eye to the tail (this form is but little known to aquarists) ; X. brevis suggests hybridization with Platypoe- cihts, as it has a number of blackish blotches on the sides, an almost total ab- sence of the lateral stripes so conspicu- ous in the others, a yellowish "sword" of noticeable shortness in the male fish; X.- montezmnae comes from the basin of the Rio Panuco, Mexico, and resem- Any of the aforesaid forms can be easily crossed with another, and indeed with the various forms of Platypoecilus, as has already been done by many of us, so I think that we can rest assured that they are not distinct and valid species. The differences are not specific, and are probably due to environment. Any aqviarist can make interesting studies of hybridization in his aquaria, and should report results, with photographs if pos- sible, to the editor of this magazine. All are easily bred and reared in well-planted

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