Can Guppies Breed With Swordtails? Can They Produce A Hybrid?

If you happened to already own swordtails in your fish tank and planning to get guppies, you may wonder if it is possible that they can cross-breed and give birth to a hybrid fish. The answer is a BIG no. Guppies cannot breed with Swordtails. This is because guppies and swordtails belong to a different genus of fish. The guppy fish belong to the Poecilia genus while swordtails belong to the Xiphophorus genus. Read on, if you are still keen to find out how you can mate guppies with other breeds of fishes.

Will Guppies And Swordtails Mate?

Can Guppies Breed With Swordtails As mentioned above, it is not possible for guppies and swordtails to mate because they do not belong to the same genus.

However, members of the Poecilia genus can crossbreed with each other and members of the Xiphophorus family can crossbreed with each other.

For example, a guppy can crossbreed with a molly of the Poecilia genus while a swordtail can crossbreed with platy of the Xiphophorus family  This is because they belong to the same family of fishes.

What Fish Can Breed With Guppies?

To further illustrate, the following fish can crossbreed with guppies:

  • Guppies are Poecilia reticulata
  • Endlers are Poecilia wingei
  • Mollies are Poecilia sphenops

And, the following fish can crossbreed with swordtails:

  • Platies are Xiphophorus maculatus
  • Swordtails are Xiphophorus helleri

Can Guppies Crossbreed?

Guppies can crossbreed within their genus: Poecilia. Several fish species make up the Poecilia genus. However, the most common are guppies, endlers, and mollies.

Also Read:  How Many Babies Do Guppies Have? Video Explanation

Will Swordtails Breed With Mollies?

Swordtails cannot breed with mollies as they are from the Poecilia sphenops genus. However, it is possible to breed swordtails with platies as they are both from the Xiphophorus maculatus genus.

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