Green Swordtail

fish · live-bearer · tropical

Sword-like tail. Male green swordtails have an extra-long tail that looks like a sword sticking out underneath. This fancy tail helps them impress female swordtails when they're looking for a mate.

Live babies born. Green swordtails don't lay eggs like most fish do. Instead, baby swordtails grow inside the mother and are born alive and ready to swim, kind of like how puppies are born.

Can make hybrid babies. Green swordtails are so closely related to platy fish that they can breed together and make hybrid babies. This shows they're part of the same fish family with similar traits.

From Central America. These fish come from rivers and streams in Mexico and Honduras, where the water is warm and sometimes has a little bit of salt mixed in with the fresh water.

Popular pet fish. Because they're colorful and easy to care for, green swordtails became one of the most popular fish to keep in aquariums around the world.