The Green Swordtail and other "wild" colors of livebearers.

Was curious do they even breed and sell the wild colors of most livebearers.
I have never seen them available at fish stores.
I always wanted a pair of green swordtail from looking at the old aquarium books when I was a child.
I find the wild colors have a humble beauty and it's ashame that only gaudy colors and crazy shapes are wanted.
I know I am in minority opinion about this, but any members on here have some examples they would like to share.
Please post some pictures if you have them. Do you find their behavior and temperament differ from the highly hybridized versions we see now?

Green Swordtails are awesome. I haven't seen one in years but I had a pair in the 1960's. Your picture is great.

I got the photo example from Florida museum here. The green sailfin Mollie also lovely.
I really enjoy the scientific illustrations they used to have in the old books
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/florida-fishes-gallery/green-swordtail/

For wild type livebearers, you have to work a little. Stores don't sell them, but breeders do. How easy they are to find depends on where you are. There were 3 or 4 swordtail species, a couple of mollies and some platy species in the auctions of my aquarium club in Canada.

GaryE said:

For wild type livebearers, you have to work a little. Stores don't sell them, but breeders do. How easy they are to find depends on where you are. There were 3 or 4 swordtail species, a couple of mollies and some platy species in the auctions of my aquarium club in Canada.

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Good luck finding those breeders. I put in an e:mail to the ALA and have yet to hear back. I'm really wanting some livebearers for a little change of pace but pet shop fish are all I will ever get. That's alright though 'cuz you find nice ones there occasionally.

To get the ALA stuff, I had to join. And even then, it was hard. There was a livebearer 'scene' in Canada for a number of years, and that helped. I miss my nezahualcoyotl and montezumae swordtails, as well as my old green swordtails from Veracruz. What I miss more are all the wild mollie species. They are fascinating.

GaryE said:

For wild type livebearers, you have to work a little. Stores don't sell them, but breeders do. How easy they are to find depends on where you are. There were 3 or 4 swordtail species, a couple of mollies and some platy species in the auctions of my aquarium club in Canada.

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How do you find the breeders? I am trying to find some wild type platys and had no luck. Or is it just that I am not looking hard enough?

I don't suppose our Netherlandic friend can point us in the right direction ? @emeraldking or @fish48

GaryE said:

To get the ALA stuff, I had to join. And even then, it was hard. There was a livebearer 'scene' in Canada for a number of years, and that helped. I miss my nezahualcoyotl and montezumae swordtails, as well as my old green swordtails from Veracruz. What I miss more are all the wild mollie species. They are fascinating.

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I was thinking to find a club, but none can be found only several hours away. I may yet join as I do enjoy the group buying and auctions if they still do that kind of thing. Thanks for reminding me.

Valentina said:

I was thinking to find a Club be none can be found only several hours away. I may yet join as I do enjoy the group buying and auctions if they still do that kind of thing. Thanks for reminding me.

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If you have any good photos please put them up. Also did you find a temperament and behaviour difference?

Valentina said:

Was curious do they even breed and sell the wild colors of most livebearers.
I have never seen them available at fish stores.
I always wanted a pair of green swordtail from looking at the old aquarium books when I was a child.
I find the wild colors have a humble beauty and it's ashame that only gaudy colors and crazy shapes are wanted.
I know I am in minority opinion about this, but any members on here have some examples they would like to share.
Please post some pictures if you have them. Do you find their behavior and temperament differ from the highly hybridized versions we see now?

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Your picture is from a museum. I've got that one also on my website. There are several kinds of swordtail species in the wild that aren't Xiphophorus hellerii. But even with Xiphophorus hellerii, there are multiple phenotypes in the wild. It's also the most wide spread wild swordtail there is in the wild.

Valentina said:

I got the photo example from Florida museum here. The green sailfin Mollie also lovely.
I really enjoy the scientific illustrations they used to have in the old books
https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/discover-fish/florida-fishes-gallery/green-swordtail/

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I also love the old books with drawing in there instead of photos. Here's a link to some of those drawings and sketches:
https://www.emeraldking-aquatics.com/old-drawings-sketches

Valentina said:

If you have any good photos please put them up. Also did you find a temperament and behaviour difference?

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I've got several photos of wild livebearer species. I do keep and breed them myself for years. Here's a link to my website that will show you wild livebearer species. But note that those are just a part of all the wild livebearer species there are in the wild. I've only posted species that I'm currently keeping and species that I've kept in the past:

Chickenboi said:

How do you find the breeders?

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There are many private breeders who keep wild livebearer species. They are less offered via the commercial channels. So, you do need to contact private breeders to get your hands on them, import them or collect them yourself in the wild.
I'm one of those keepers and breeders. @fish48 is also one of them.

Valentina said:

I know I am in minority opinion about this, but any members on here have some examples they would like to share.

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I like the natural/wild colors too. I am ok with most of the changes except where they affect the fish's health even in the tank, ie ballon fish, but I prefer to see healthy wild form fish the most.

I have Xiphorus milleri here, lots of them. But X maculatus, the platy, is a holy grail for me. I've seen them in Belize, but I have had an eye out for them for a solid 30 years, and no one has had any. People think it's common, I guess, but the real thing is hard to find unless you go south and somehow get permits.

There have been 3 distinct helleri varieties in our club over the past 20 years. Below is not a sales site so don't pester them, but have a look:

GaryE said:

I have Xiphorus milleri here, lots of them.

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Got those too... One of my favorites...

GaryE said:

But X maculatus, the platy, is a holy grail for me

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Well, there are wild X.maculatus to be found amongst private breeders. X.maculatus has multiple locations in the wild. But they're all X.maculatus. It's stated as being color morphs of one and the same platy species.
Overhere a wildstrain of X.maculatus, called Chuco's place and were collected by my friend Kees de Jong back in 2019 in Mexico.

They've got a crescent mark and two short bend marks on caudal penducle. Last year they were also sold to the German wholesaler Glaser. And Glaser called them X.maculatus Tabasco as a commercial name.
Below: X.maculatus purpur (purple) from Belize.

Watch this males high back (humpbacked). Very typical for this strain.

I also have to say that the socalled Mickey Mouse mark on the caudal penducle in fancy platies and swordtails came from wild platies. So, that's not a fancy trait. A lot of wild platies (also other than X.maculatus) can show a mark on the caudal penducle. And every location in free nature knows their own mark.

Someday, I am going back to the Netherlands, home of captive bred X maculatus and Platopochilus lampeye killies...