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Scientific Name: Poecilia latipinna

Type: Brackish water, adapts to other conditions

Size: 2-4" (5-10cm)

Tank Size Needed (Minimum): 25 gallons (95L)

Water pH: 7 to 8.5

Water Hardness: Medium hard to hard (12-20 dH)

Temperature: 78-82°F (25-28°C)

Origin: South Carolina through the Gulf of Mexico

Social: Does best with two or more Mollies. Will successfully live with Angels, Barbs. Danios, Gouramis, Platies, Rainbows, Tetras and other community fish. Favors living in the upper half of the aquarium.

Life span: 5 years

Diet: Omnivore. Will eat algae and aquarium plants. Feed live or frozen foods (brine shrimp, bloodworms), and flake food.

Difficulty Rating: Beginner

Comments: The Dalmatian Lyretail Molly is a very attractive hybrid of the Sailfin Molly. Dalmatian lyretails are so named because of their black and white coloring and the resemblance of their long, curved tail to the lyre instrument.

Related to the Guppy, the Dalmatian lyretail molly is a very versatile fish that can successfully live in a wide variety of aquarium setups. This fish naturally likes brackish water, but it can adapt to everything from completely freshwater to fully saltwater. It is a non-aggressive fish which gets along with others very well, making it a wonderful beginner fish.

This fish prefers an aquarium with a sandy or gravel bottom, good filtration, and lots of real or plastic plants and wood features along the tank walls.   

If you keep more than one Dalmatian lyretail molly, it’s a good idea to keep two females only. If creating a school, make sure there are more females than males so the males won’t be constantly pressuring the females. These fish breed easily, though they are hybrids, and can overpopulate the aquarium in just a few months. To sex the fish, examine the anal fin, which is pointed in males and rounded in females.