Scientific Name:	Poecilia sp
Family:	Poeciliid
Temperature:	24 - 29 C; 75 - 84 F
PH	7.5 - 8.2
Size:	8 cm; 3 inches
Life Span:	3 - 5 years
Breeding:	Easy, Livebearer

Mollies originate from Mexico and Central America.  They can survive in brackish water and it improves their health to add a tablespoon of salt per gallon of water.  They prefer bushy plants, plenty of swimming room, warmer hard water and some of their own kind.  It is best to have a couple of females per male, as the males continually harass the females in order to breed.  The Molly comes in a wide variety of colors and three main types: short fin, sail fin and Mexican.  Some common names are the Black, Black Lyretail, Gold, Dalmation, Silver Sailfin, Black Sailfin and Gold Sailfin Molly.  Sailfin mollies are larger and have a long, broad dorsal fin.  The Mexican salfins are somewhat harder to keep and breed.

Males have a gonopodium which is used to fertilize the female.  Females are larger and broader.  One fertilization can result in several sets of births.  When pregnant, females have a dark gravid spot near their anal fin.  Females can have young every 3 to 4 weeks.  They will seek an area of seclusion to give birth and can have anywhere from 10 to more than 50 young.  Mollies will eat their young, so it is important to either have a heavy plant cover or a separate breeding tank.  A simple plastic breeding trap can be purchased at aquarium stores.

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