The livebearers are the backbone of aquaristics. The hobby would be unimaginable without Guppy, Platy, Molly and Co. We notice two trends in the breeding of these fish: one deals with the wild forms, which were very rare or not available at all in the trade; and the other develops new, colorful breeding forms, but without the fin enlargement that used to accompany them, so that the charm of the wild fish is preserved, just in colorful. Breeders in Asia refer to these wild-type-like animals as “ancient”, meaning “original”.
The short-finned Molly (the correct spelling would actually be Mollie, as the genus was named after a Mr. Mollien), which we can currently offer, is a prime example of a successful breeding form. The beautiful animals are insensitive and show the diverse behavior of the wild forms. The position in the rank order is shown in the males in the form of the yellow and black portion in the coloration. The higher the rank, the more contrasting the coloration of the fish!
For our customers: the animals have code 432182 on our stocklist. Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesalers.
Lexicon: Mollienesia: dedication name in honor of Monsieur Mollien; the genus is currently generally considered a subgenus to Poecilia. sphenops: ancient Greek, means “pointed head”.
Suggested common name: Antique Molly
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
