Gold Molly Poecilia sphenops species

Common Name Gold Molly

Scientific Name Poecilia sphenops species

Family Poeciliidae

Community General

Class Molly

Temperature 78ºF

Swimming Range Top-Middle-Bottom

Adult Length 2 1/4-2 1/2 inches

Feeding Habits Fresh spinach, zucchini, peas and lettuce. Live blood worms, glass worms, brine shrimp and tubifex worms. Frozen vegetable diet, daphnia, plankton, beef heart, brine shrimp, glass worms and blood worms. Flake and freeze dried foods also accepted.

Compatibility Peaceful fish that will sometimes school with their own kind. Females should out number males two to one.

Habitat Columbia: Moderately decorated with rocks, live plants and driftwood.

Breeding The male has a longer pointed dorsal fin, while the females is smaller and rounded. Males also have a gonopodium (underneath the body of the male is one fin that hangs down and what looks like a fin folded up against his body, this is a gonopodium. Where as the female has two fins that hang down). They are livebearers that will produce 20-40 babies at one time and they will eat their young.

Additional Comments Many color and fin variations have been commercially produced over the years by breeders.