Sword/Platy hybrid?

[martiemcg]

I've been Googling images for Swordtails and can't find one colored just like this one I got the other night. Maybe it's not too clear in the pic but the marking on her tail looks kinda like a blurry Mickey Mouse marking on a Platy... so that got me wondering.

I got two Platy girls (a tuxedo and a yellow with green iridescence ?sp Mickey Mouse) for my lonely boy Earl while I was there and Swordy gets along great with them.

She has two black markings on her bottom lip but from the front they look like little dirty nose-holes so I named her Poomba.

[Rue]

There are many colour variations. I don't think the fish is a hybrid...

But I'm sure ILMGB will be along to tell me I'm wrong any second now...

[clayton]

Very well could be a hybrid. From what I read the bloodlines kind of criss-cross in Platies and Swords. I have also seen some LFS keeping both in the same tank. Either way it seems to be a well adjusted and may even be bilingual...

[Rue]

...or maybe Clayton will...

[clayton]

Ha ha... I apparently was typing that while you posted your response. What you said is also true I have a red wag platy that had speckles of red in the black part of its tail and I have had some that had a black back. The color pattern fluctuates some.

So to answer your question. It could be a hybrid or it could be a pureblood with a little uniqueness. :)

[Little Embers]

I think Rue and Clayton are both right and it could be either.

There are so many colour variants out there, also a recessive gene may come through at times, making the fishs' markings look a bit different.

Many of the platies we get, often will have some swordtail mix in them. The two can crossbreed. The female swordtail looks very similar to the platy which can confuse the male swordtail...poor baby! One of my LFS' always keeps platies/swordtails in the same tank.

[rich311k]

As far as I know all swords and platys commonly sold are hybrids, that is how they created such pretty fish.