Poecilia vivipara

Variable body bars and state-dependent male belly colour.

The male is silver-grey with dark vertical bars and a pale yellow belly. Shoulder-spot and orange-bellied courtship states also occur.

Natural habitat: Common in mildly brackish canals and drainage ditches beside swamps, with fewer records from freshwater.

Keep at 23–27°C.

Appearance and identification

Compared with the spot-row chica, this male emphasizes vertical bars. Colour changes within vivipara, so stripes alone do not identify it.

Provide shelter and retreat space and observe interactions.

Omnivorous; offer varied feeding.

Check actual size, behaviour and proposed companions.

Sources