Xiphophorus evelynae
Male Xiphophorus evelynae "Arroyo d'Escapa Huachinago, Puebla, MX" Rosen, 1960. Photo by Rick Borstein
Common Names: Pueblo Platy, Puebla Platy, Reticulate Platyfish
Synonyms: Xiphophorus variatus evelynae
Meaning of Name
Genus- Xiphophorus= Greek, Sword Carrying
Species- evelynae= honorific
Introduction
Xiphophorus evelynae is an attractive, wild-type platy that is available in a number of forms. They can be quite variable in a appearance, but the form shown here is one of the more attractive ones. Visitors to my fishroom who were not familiar with wild livebearers noted how pretty these fish can be. Males have very nice yellow coloration in the dorsal and caudal, which unfortunately doesn't show very well in the photo above.
Distribution
Xiphophorus evelynae is found on Mexico's Atlantic Slope in the upper part of the Rio Tecolutla basin in the state of Puebla, Mexico.
Size, Maturity, and Sexual Dimorphism
- Sexual Dimorphism: Males are smaller, more colorful and have a gonopodium
- Sexual Maturity: 1.5 inches
- Size, Male: 2.25 inches
- Size, Female: 2.75 inches
Care
Xiphophorus evelynae is easy to keep. Just provide a ten gallon or larger tank with a sponge filter and maintain temperatures at 74F to 80F and neutral to hard water.
Diet
In the wild, Xiphophorus evelynae are omnivorous, grazing on algae, insects, etc. In the aquarium, just provide a good quality flake food with vegetable content. I fed HBH Graze, Spectrum H20 Optum Flake and Xtreme pellets.
Breeding
I obtained several juvenile Xiphophorus evelynae "Arroyo d'Escapa Huachinago, Puebla, MX from Pat Hartman (Michigan) when Pat spoke to the Chicago Livebearer Society in April 2013.
I placed the fish in a 15-gallon tank which had a sand substrate. Filtration was provided by a 5-inch Swiss Tropical Poret Foam filter. I performed weekly water changes of half of the tank volume and the fish grew steadily. With all of my livebearers, I float a plastic plant mat as a hideaway for fry.
Once the females got up to about 1.5 inches, I saw my first fry. For the first week or so, the fry hide out in the plastic plants and they are immediately able to consume finely crushed flake. I never observed the parents predating on the fry. Within several months, I had over fifty fish in the tank!
I distributed many of the fish in the Chicago Livebearer Society and at the 2014 ALA Convention.
Conclusion
Platys, in general, make excellent aquarium fish. They are not aggressive and generally do not molest their young if adequate cover is provided. Xiphophorus evelynae is a terrific fish to start with if you are interested in wild livebearers. It is worth seeking out fish from a known location. While Publa Platys are in the hobby, many do not have a location. As a result, I sold quite a few fish to "upgraders" at the ALA Convention.
References
- Freshwater Fish of Mexico, Robert Rush Miller
- Fishbase Profile
