Poeciliidae

Southern Platyfish

Xiphophorus maculatus

Fish Reaching Four Centimeters in Mexican Waters

• Tropical
• Regional distribution
• Freshwater fish
• Central America and the Caribbean
• North America
• Fusiform
• Small
• Tropical fish

The southern platyfish, common platy, or moonfish (Xiphophorus maculatus) is a species of freshwater fish in family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. A live-bearer, it is closely related to the green swordtail (X. hellerii) and can interbreed with it. It is native to an area of North and Central America stretching from Veracruz, Mexico, to northern Belize.