ID this swordtail?

[Chris24]

the guy at the fishstore just said it was a swordtail, not any special kind, but i cant find any pics that look like this. i just want to be sure thats what it is, because i like to know as much as possible about my fish.

i have one of these in my 55gal. the AQ calculator suggests getting at least three swordtails if you get one, but it doesnt say why. can anyone fill me in?

i have a rainbow shark who is chasing this fish a little bit, though its not deterring it from eating. seems to be okay at least for now. im wondering if giving it a couple buddies would improve that situation.

also have a black veil angel in there. the shark doesnt pick on it nearly as much, but have seen it chase now and then, im more worried for it, because its a slower swimmer.

thanks yall! :)

[wolf_eyes]

It a velvet red lyretail swordfish.

They suggest more is for a couple of reasons. First, this species is not necessarily a schooler species, but they do enjoy the company of their kind. So more than 1 is suggested. Secondly,male swordtails can be bullies so getting 4 rather than say 2 will help keep the bullying spread out. if you only have 2 of them then one fish will bully the other one ruthlessly sometimes. Lastly, and probably the most important is that this species is a livebearer. Livebearer females givebirth to fry rather than lay eggs, usually every month or so. The males are constantly trying to get females to breed with them. If you have more males than females they will stress her to the point where she may get sick. The best ratio for livebearers is 1 male to 2-4 females.
You can tell a male swordtail from a female because males will have a pointed anal tail where as a female won't
http://thesmileyfish.com/wp-content/...calfish010.jpg