Vertical barring on swordtails

[GaryofMontreal]

I notice my young Xiphophorus alvarezi males developing dark vertical stripes or bars on their flanks, a feature I find quite nice to look at. The same attractive feature (with fewer bars) showed up on my 'dumpster blue" helleri.

It's not something I've ever noticed on the many selected swordtail types I kept before. To those who have seen more swordtail species and varieties than I have, is it a feature we see often on them?

[OldMan]

I'm no xiphophorus expert but have seen it on helleri before myself. Mine now have a few spots and a slight blue tinge to them. The only trouble I am having is that none seem to be males now that they have matured. We all know what that means for these guys futures.

[CACAdmin]

Interesting. I don't keep swords but do keep platys. I can't say I recall seeing it on any xiphophorus species. The bars sound similar to the vertical bars which I see on my mollies (my velifera and some of my green sailfins). If so, a very attractive feature. Any pics?

[OldMan]

CACAdmin, the bars I see are like the ones on some of the barred limias like my limia melanogasters. So far they have also been transient to me and not been present on the adults.

[CACAdmin]

So the bars you see are the thicker sort and do not extend to cover the full flank vertically? Do they entend the full length of the fish like the limia melanogasters?

What about the bars you're seeing Gary? Are they similar?

[blainep]

My male Nezza has vertical stripes along the flank, they look good. Haven't seen any on my Birchmani or Helleri yet, but they're pretty young yet.

[GaryofMontreal]

The helleri version shows in the first posting of the 'dumpster' thread. That male has three bars. The alvarezi have five bars, so far, but I don't have a decent picture.
One of my alvarezi females dropped ten or so fry this evening - her first. I always like that with a hard to find livebearer.

[CACAdmin]

Thanks for reminding me to check back to the dumpster fishing (http://www.canadianaquariumconnection.com/forum/showthread.php?t=4841) thread. Those are the type of bars I first though you were talking about.... just 3 and right on the flank behind the pectoral fins. I wonder if it's wild-type gene that's surfacing. Goodness knows, Xiphophorus of all types have been outcrossed for so long that it could come from anywhere. Regardless, I think it's cool.

Congrats on the alvarezi fry! You now have the makings of a good breeding colony. :Smile:

[Melody]

Vertical bars are present in many wild-type Swordtails, Platy's and several Molly species. Their purpose according to those who study such things, is attracting the female. Female Swordtails, incidentally, show a strong preference for males who have the same number of bars on each side. A recent study, however, found that older females actually prefer a different number of bars on each side.

I figure their eyesite fails or they get desperate - not sure which :wink:

You'll also see them more vividly when they're sparring with other males.

The fancy varieties often have a colour overlay that hides the bars.

Many species have bars that darken when they're breeding or that appear only when they're breeding. You'll see it more in alpha males as a rule, or at least more vividly and consistently.

[Lisachromis]

Just off the top of my head... can think of several Xiphophorus that have vertical barring:

Xiphophorus cortezi, multilineatus, birchmanni, malinche, dominant male nezahualcoyotl (at least the ones I had).

[PintoHawk]

My Platy Juvies are showing vertical bars, I thought it was some weird color pattern coming out. About half of them have the bars, half don't. Some have as many as 4 bars. Some have one bar on one side and 3 on the other side.

My oldest Juvies do have bars, but only 1 or 2 at most, and much faded. I thought as they grew, the bars would fade away completely; I am still watching to see if they fade altogether or if some keep the bars. I would love to see these little fish keep the bars through to adulthood and breed true afterwards. We'll see.