A few years ago, I went to buy some Platy fish for my tank. The shopkeeper of the fish shop gave me many types of Platy fish to choose from. One was bright blue, another was gold with black specks on its body, and another was purely iridescent. I was particularly taken away by a type called Mickey Mouse Platy. I mean, there were so many peculiarly named Platies that I wondered if there were more Platy fish than what I was shown in the shop. Turns out, there are many more Platy fish after all.
There are many patterned Platy fish like wagtail, tuxedo, variegated, calico, salt-pepper, comet, or twin bar. And there are color variations like red, blue, yellow, gold, orange, etc. Moreover, there are some special and famous Platy fish like Mickey Mouse, panda, sunset or sunburst, neon blue wag, black Hamburg, dalmatian, green lantern, etc.
Today, I have compiled a long list of all the Platy fish that exists on Earth (I might be exaggerating though). There may be more platyfish than what I’ve written here because Platy fish can interbreed with other fish and even their own kind. You can produce a new type, color, pattern, through cross-breeding.
Now, without further ado, let’s start.
How Do Platy Fish Look In The Wild? [Anatomy Of A Platy Fish]
Platy Fish are found in beige, brown, and orange colors in the wild. The Platy fish you now see is decades of breeding and perfecting into this beautiful looking Platy fish. Almost all the Platies you see will be a hybrid of Xiphophorus maculatus and Xiphophorus Variatus.
I think Platy fish is quite brilliantly shaped. It is laterally compressed with a fan-shaped tail. So, Platy fish are quite fast swimmers due to this sharp streamlined body. Not to forget their triangle-shaped head!
And, it has teeth both in the upper and lower jaw. Platy fish also have a convex belly and a flat back. The tail portion is rather thick in a Platy fish.
Almost all Platy fish you will know has an upturned mouth. This is because it eats the food from the water surface in wild.
The difference between a male and female Platy fish is obvious too. Male Platy fish also have a distinct gonopodium while females have rounded anal fins.
So, How Many Types Of Platy Fish Are There?
You cannot imagine how huge this category is. There are nearly billions of Platy types in this world.
There are literally a dozen of patterns, many colors, and there are some distinct morphological features that are quite popular and are sold by distinct names. Moreover, there are some Platy fish who are particularly bred to be dwarf Platy too.
You can mix a pattern with color and get a colored patterned Platy fish. It’s almost impossible to tell you how many combinations can be formed by cross-breeding. Thus, here, I will describe to you some Platy fish I really love.
Common Color Types Of Platy Fish
Now, there are several color varieties of Platy fish. Many are even mixed and look so beautiful that way. For example, I had a Platy that was brown near its tail and its whole body was red. Honestly, that Platy set a very fiery vibe in my tank.
Some more colors you can find in Platy fish are:
- Black
- Blue
- Brown
- Golden. This color can be described as sunset, marigold, sunburst, yellow color.
- Green
- Albino varieties
- Red. This color can refer to coral, velvet, blood, and brick red.
- Orange
Types Of Pattern Of Platy Fish
Did you know that Platy fish come in so many patterns? Such patterns distinctly classify Platy into many types. Let me tell you more about this pattern.
Wagtail Pattern
Now, in a wagtail Platy, you can basically see that the whole tail and fins are black. And, no matter what the color of the body, be it golden, red, brown, black, and so on, the tail and fins always remains black.
I personally think the Wagtail pattern looks beautiful on a red-bodied Platy.
Tuxedo Pattern
Have you seen a fish that looks ready for a formal party? Well. That’s what a tuxedo Platy fish looks like.
In this pattern, a Platy fish has dual colors. The front colors may be any color like orange, yellow, golden, white. While the rest of the body in the middle is black.
A tuxedo Platy may also have a wagtail pattern, i.e. black tail and fins. But, this may not be the case either. Like you know, Platy fish have many variations.
Variegated Pattern
How about a fish that looks like an artist just dabbed paint on their body? Yes, variegated Platy has black splotches on its body. And, underneath those beautiful splotches is the artist’s canvas whose color ranges from gold to red to yellow to blue.
The splotches may be grainy and small, while also it can be coarse and cover the entire body.
Salt And Pepper Pattern
Like the name suggests, salt and pepper Platy look like someone sprinkled black salt on their body. But, unlike the variegated platy with blotches of black spots on its body, this salt, and pepper have a liberal distribution of the black grains.
The base of this Platy may be any color ranging from white, red, orange, golden, etc.
Rainbow Pattern
You know how the 7 colors of the rainbow beautifully decorate the sky right? Likewise, God has given us rainbow platy which has many colors on its body. These colors blend or suddenly merge like music in this Platy’s body.
It is commonly seen that a rainbow Platy has a black tail. And, the color becomes lighter as it comes to the head/face.
The most common rainbow Platy is an iridescent Platy. This platy looks like the rainbow on the puddle after a soft rain in summer.
Comet Or Twin Bar Pattern
A comet is a rock in space. It burns by emitting a bright light behind it. Well, a comet or twin bar platy also has a pattern in its tail that makes the Platy look like it’s swimming in space.
So, the side of the tail in comet Platy is colored black and makes it look unique.
Mickey Mouse Platy
For me, Mickey Mouse Platy is the most interesting platy. Well, this platy literally has the figure of Mickey Mouse etched near its tail. So, there is a large black dot with two tiny dots that looks exactly like my favorite Disney character Mickey.
These platy come in many colors with Mickey Mouse on their tail.
Calico Pattern
Calico Pattern is quite a beautiful pattern for me. Unlike the variegated whose body is covered with splotches, Calico has concentrated splotches near their tail. Sometimes, these black splotches are found in the body but very sparsely!
The calico pattern looks best on a golden body. But, there are blue-color calico Platies as well!
Bumblebee Platy
Have you seen a bee in an aquarium? Well, you will bee (pun intended!) surprised to see bumblebee platy swim in your tank. Bumblebee platy has black spots on its head and its entire body is pale yellow or golden. This pattern makes Bumblebee Platy look like a bee!
Types Of Platy Fish That Stands Out
After all the patterns and colors, let me tell you about some distinct types. These types of Platy fish are really popular in fish-keeping hobby and are bred for their morphological traits. Not to forget that these look really mesmerizing too.
Neon Blue Wag
Platy with a wagged pattern and neon body in real life look surreal! This fish literally shimmers light.
This type of Platy is not so available in stores because it sells quickly! You might have to search for this beauty online.
Panda Platy
If you know the color of a panda bear, you can easily guess a Panda Platy’s appearance. Panda platy is basically wagtail platy with a white body.
This Platy is closely related to green Swordtail. I personally love this platy for being minimalistic and simple.
Black Hamburg
Black Hamburg fins look really ferocious with a black body but they have golden or orange heads and lower bellies.
Hamburg is different from tuxedos considering that Hamburg is dominantly covered by black and only tips and lower belly is orange, yellow, or any other color.
Sunset Platy Fish
Sunset Platy is the most beloved platy. Also called sunburst platy, this Platy has a golden yellow color in the front part while from near the tail brings out a rich red. This creates an effect of sunset. Moreover, the sunburst platy looks really pretty in an aquarium.
Some sunbursts have wagtail in them so bring out the contrasting effect even more.
Gold Twin Bar Platy
This is also one of my favorite Platy types. This platy has a light yellow base but its tail edges are black so it looks like this Platy is propelling in the tank.
Neon Gold Calico
Neon Gold Calico looks rather regal because of its rich golden scales covered by black dots at the back. The face of a gold calico is orange.
If you are a fan of Koi fish, you’ll definitely love this variety of Platy fish!
Dalmatian Platy Fish
https://www.flickr.com/photos/elmaben/
Dalmatian Platy has a color like Panda Platy. The only difference is that Dalmatian Platy has black spots on their white body.
Dalmatian name comes after a Dalmatian dog which is a white dog with big black spots on its body. Well. If you can’t keep a Dalmatian in your home, a Dalmatian Platy is all that you need.
Green Lantern Platy
This is quite a rare type. Green lantern Platy is literally emitting greenery through its rich, almost iridescent shiny scales.
Parrot Platy
Parrot Platy is interesting-looking. These Platy have a light yellow or white body but their tail is distinctly triangle with colors like orange and brown.
You can find many colors of Parrot Platy like gold, red, orange, etc. The most common is yellow.
Platy Malibu Sunset
I like malibu sunset platy because of how it looks like the moon and the sun are dancing together. It has a silver body, almost neon blue and it blends with an orange tail. Honestly, the color and pattern look brilliant.
Types Of Platy Fish Depending On Fins
Depending on fins, some Platy fish literally look regal. To know more about the finned variety, read the following.
High Fin (Also Called Hifin, Moonfish, and Sailfin Platy)
Hifins have a very long dorsal fin. And this fin makes Platy look very regal as its fins flow along with the tides of the water in the tank.
Hifins can be any pattern like tuxedos, comets, and many colors like blue, green, yellow, red, etc.
But, perhaps the saddest thing about Hifins is that the fin gets nipped by other fin nippers in the tank. So, if you get a Hifin, then you should closely monitor their health.
Pintail
Pintail is rarer than Hifin. In a pintail, the middle portion of the tail is elongated. I’ve heard many people confuse a pintail with a swordtail. But, Pintails are just Platy fish with the elongated tail fin.
Pintails come in many colors and many patterns.
FAQ
Do Different Types Of Platy Fish Breed?
Yes, there are many types of Platy fish and they can crossbreed. Platy fish can also breed with other species like Swordtail, guppies, etc. This creates new variations to add in Platy fish species.
Are Platy Fish Aggressive?
Platy fish are peaceful and can live in a community aquarium. But, sometimes, aggression can occur when you keep an improper mating ratio, overcrowd your tank, etc.
Conclusion
I hope I could describe the types of Platy fish to you properly. But, trust me, there are some Platy fish who have everything I’ve described here. Alternatively, there are simple platyfish too!
Because Platy fish are so common in fish keeping hobby, people cross breed and create their own types of Platy fish. But, there are a few standards that people seek for and love. I hope you loved some Platy fish I described. I hope you get some Platy fish soon.