the.com/swordtail
A fish that grows a blade it can't swing, just to flaunt.
means A small freshwater fish (genus Xiphophorus) in which the male's lower tail fin extends into a long, sword-like point, popular in home aquariums.
from A plain English compound of "sword" and "tail," naming the fish for the male's distinctive blade-like tail extension. The scientific name carries the same image: Xiphophorus comes from Greek xiphos, "sword," plus -phoros, "bearing" — literally "sword-bearer."
- sex swap
- Females can flip male, sword and all
- the sword
- Tail extension purely for impressing mates
- livebearer
- Births free-swimming fry, skips the egg phase
- native turf
- Streams of Mexico and Central America
- bigger sword
- Longer blades win more female attention
for instance
xiphophorus hellerii — central american live-bearing fish with elongated tail fin, popular in aquariums since the 1920s
montezuma swordtail — xiphophorus couchianus, endemic to mexico's catemaco lake, critically endangered species