Fish Identification: Find Species

Class: Teleostei
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae Poeciliids
Subfamily: Poeciliinae
Genus: Xiphophorus

(See list of species below)



Select Class:     Select Order:   
Select Family: Subfamily:     Select Genus:

Select Ocean (marine/brackish) or Continent (freshwater):
Select a country:
Only include species occuring above: m

Total number of spines in dorsal and anal fins (optional).      Enter total length (TL) and maximum body depth (BD)

Show family drawing(s)



28 species
(see list below)
Export file

1 of 1 Jump to:

Photo by Coletti, T.

Central America
Max. Length 7.5 cm
Xiphophorus alvarezi Rosen, 1960

Photo by Photo by Coletti, T.
 
Xiphophorus alvarezi
[Chiapas swordtail]
No picture found

Max. Length 5.5 cm

 
Xiphophorus andersi
[Spiketail platyfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 7 cm TL

 
Xiphophorus birchmanni
[Sheepshead swordtail]

Photo by Coletti, T.

North America
Max. Length 5.1 cm SL
Xiphophorus clemenciae Álvarez, 1959

Photo by Photo by Coletti, T.
 
Xiphophorus clemenciae
[Yellow swordtail]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.5 cm

 
Xiphophorus continens
[Short-sword platyfish]

Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.

Central America
Max. Length 5.5 cm
Xiphophorus cortezi Rosen, 1960

Photo by Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.
 
Xiphophorus cortezi
[Delicate swordtail]

Photo by Nilsson, K.

North America
Max. Length 6 cm TL
Xiphophorus couchianus (Girard, 1859)

Photo by Photo by Nilsson, K.
 
Xiphophorus couchianus
[Monterrey platyfish]

Photo by Coletti, T.

Central America
Max. Length 6 cm TL
Xiphophorus evelynae Rosen, 1960

Photo by Photo by Coletti, T.
 
Xiphophorus evelynae
[Puebla platyfish]

Photo by Nilsson, K.

Central America
Max. Length 4 cm TL
Xiphophorus gordoni Miller & Minckley, 1963

Photo by Photo by Nilsson, K.
 
Xiphophorus gordoni
[Northern platyfish]

Photo by Ramani Shirantha

North and Central America
Max. Length 16 cm TL
Xiphophorus hellerii Heckel, 1848

Photo by Photo by Ramani Shirantha
 
Xiphophorus hellerii
[Green swordtail]

Photo by Dubosc, J.

North America
Max. Length 10.5 cm TL
Xiphophorus kallmani Meyer & Schartl, 2003

Photo by Photo by Dubosc, J.
 
Xiphophorus kallmani
[]
No picture found


 
Xiphophorus kosszanderi
[Chapultepec platy]

Photo by Ramani Shirantha

North and Central America
Max. Length 6 cm TL
Xiphophorus maculatus (Günther, 1866)

Photo by Photo by Ramani Shirantha
 
Xiphophorus maculatus
[Southern platyfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 5.5 cm TL

 
Xiphophorus malinche
[Highland swordtail]

Photo by Dubosc, J.

Central America
Max. Length 7.8 cm SL
Xiphophorus mayae Meyer & Schartl, 2002

Photo by Photo by Dubosc, J.
 
Xiphophorus mayae
[]

Photo by Allen, Jr., W.

North America
Max. Length 4 cm TL
Xiphophorus meyeri Schartl & Schröder, 1988

Photo by Photo by Allen, Jr., W.
 
Xiphophorus meyeri
[Marbled swordtail]

Photo by Nilsson, K.

Central America
Max. Length 4.5 cm
Xiphophorus milleri Rosen, 1960

Photo by Photo by Nilsson, K.
 
Xiphophorus milleri
[Catemaco platyfish]
No picture found

Max. Length 3.9 cm SL

 
Xiphophorus mixei
[Mixe swordtail]

Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.

Central America
Max. Length 6.5 cm TL
Xiphophorus montezumae Jordan & Snyder, 1899

Photo by Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.
 
Xiphophorus montezumae
[Montezuma swordtail]
No picture found

Max. Length 6.4 cm SL

 
Xiphophorus monticolus
[Southern mountain swordtail]
No picture found

Max. Length 5 cm

 
Xiphophorus multilineatus
[Striped swordtail]

Photo by Kaladjian, M.

Central America
Max. Length 6 cm
Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot, 1990

Photo by Photo by Kaladjian, M.
 
Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl
[Mountain swordatail]

Photo by JJPhoto

Central America
Max. Length 6 cm TL
Xiphophorus nigrensis Rosen, 1960

Photo by Photo by JJPhoto
 
Xiphophorus nigrensis
[Panuco swordtail]

Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.

Central America
Max. Length 4 cm TL
Xiphophorus pygmaeus Hubbs & Gordon, 1943

Photo by Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.
 
Xiphophorus pygmaeus
[Pygmy swordtail]
No picture found


 
Xiphophorus roseni
[]

Photo by Kaladjian, M.

Central America
Max. Length 7.5 cm TL
Xiphophorus signum Rosen & Kallman, 1969

Photo by Photo by Kaladjian, M.
 
Xiphophorus signum
[]

Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.

North America
Max. Length 7 cm TL
Xiphophorus variatus (Meek, 1904)

Photo by Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.
 
Xiphophorus variatus
[Variable platyfish]

Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.

North America
Max. Length 5 cm
Xiphophorus xiphidium (Gordon, 1932)

Photo by Photo by Artigas Azas, J.M.
 
Xiphophorus xiphidium
[Swordtail platyfish]


Sort by: Species Length Year
1 of 1 Jump to:
Export file
n = 28

Scientific Name English Name Distribution Max. Length (cm) Year
Xiphophorus alvarezi Chiapas swordtail Central America 7.5 1960
Xiphophorus andersi Spiketail platyfish Central America 5.5 1980
Xiphophorus birchmanni Sheepshead swordtail Central America 7 TL 1987
Xiphophorus clemenciae Yellow swordtail North America 5.1 SL 1959
Xiphophorus continens Short-sword platyfish Central America 3.5 1990
Xiphophorus cortezi Delicate swordtail Central America 5.5 1960
Xiphophorus couchianus Monterrey platyfish North America 6 TL 1859
Xiphophorus evelynae Puebla platyfish Central America 6 TL 1960
Xiphophorus gordoni Northern platyfish Central America 4 TL 1963
Xiphophorus hellerii Green swordtail North and Central America 16 TL 1848
Xiphophorus kallmani North America 10.5 TL 2003
Xiphophorus kosszanderi Chapultepec platy Central America 1981
Xiphophorus maculatus Southern platyfish North and Central America 6 TL 1866
Xiphophorus malinche Highland swordtail Central America 5.5 TL 1990
Xiphophorus mayae Central America 7.8 SL 2002
Xiphophorus meyeri Marbled swordtail North America 4 TL 1988
Xiphophorus milleri Catemaco platyfish Central America 4.5 1960
Xiphophorus mixei Mixe swordtail North America 3.9 SL 2004
Xiphophorus montezumae Montezuma swordtail Central America 6.5 TL 1899
Xiphophorus monticolus Southern mountain swordtail North America 6.4 SL 2004
Xiphophorus multilineatus Striped swordtail Central America 5 1990
Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl Mountain swordatail Central America 6 1990
Xiphophorus nigrensis Panuco swordtail Central America 6 TL 1960
Xiphophorus pygmaeus Pygmy swordtail Central America 4 TL 1943
Xiphophorus roseni North America 1981
Xiphophorus signum Central America 7.5 TL 1969
Xiphophorus variatus Variable platyfish North America 7 TL 1904
Xiphophorus xiphidium Swordtail platyfish North America 5 1932



Other identification tools in FishBase


Quick Identification
Identification keys
Identification by morphometrics
Identification by pictures:
          If you already know the Family, go to Search FishBase, select Family and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the family.

          If you already know the Country, go to
Search FishBase, select Country and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the country.

          If you already know the Ecosystem, go to
Search FishBase, select Ecosystem and click on 'Identification by pictures' to display all available pictures in FishBase for the ecosystem.
cfm script by eagbayani, 30.11.04, ,  php script by cmilitante, 05/11/2010 ,  last modified by cmilitante, 14/03/2013