FreshwaterBrackishSaltwater
Sailfin molly
Poecilia latipinna
Poeciliidae, Poeciliinae
Facts
Characteristics
- Length
- Up to 15 cm
- Body shape
- Streamlined
Care
- Group
- Missing
- Smallest aquarium
- 88 liters
- Diet
- Missing
Know what is missing? Suggest it in the app.
Behavior
Water values
Smallest tank
Range
NativeIntroduced
Lives wild in Mexico and United States.
Introduced to Australia, Bahamas, Canada, Colombia, Fiji, Greece, Guam, Indonesia, and 7 more countries.
More about the species
Description
Found in still or gently flowing warm water of small creeks and drains. Occurs in ponds, lakes, sloughs, and quiet, often vegetated, backwaters and pools of streams and also in coastal waters. Abundant in tidal ditches and brackish canals. Feeds mainly on algae, also consumes animal material: rotifers, small crustaceans (such as copepods and ostracods) and aquatic insects.
Other names
Other scientific names
- Limia matamorensis
- Limia poeciloides
- Mollienesia latipinna
- Mollienisia latipinna
- Poecilia lineolata
- Poecilia multilineata
In other languages
- Seilfinnemolly
- Lille sejlfinnemolly, Lille Sejlfinnefisk
- Leveäevämolli
- Sailfin mollie
Articles
All articles
How to set up a Central American aquarium5 min read
Hard, alkaline water, sand and rock: an aquarium from the rivers and lakes of Mexico and Central America, with cichlids and livebearers.
How to set up a North American aquarium5 min read
Streams and ponds in North America are often cool. How to set up an aquarium without a heater, with pygmy sunfish, shiners and darters.
How to add new fish4 min read
From the store to the tank: how to get the fish used to your water, why you should add only a few at a time, and what to watch for in the first few days.
Quarantine for new fish3 min read
Why new fish should live in a tank of their own for a few weeks before they move in, what you need, and what to look for.