🐟 Santa Claus Swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii)
🐟 Santa Claus Swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii)
Festive Red-and-White Colouring With Warm Orange Tones • A Bright, Cheerful Selectively Bred Colour Variety • A Hardy, Easy Livebearer for Any Community Tank
📋 The Santa Claus Swordtail carries festive red-and-white colouring with warm orange tones, the bright, cheerful pattern that gives it its name, a standout colour variety of the classic Swordtail.
Like nearly every colour variety in the hobby, this festive colouring is the product of generations of selective breeding, rather than something found in the wild olive-green-to-brown original form. It comes from Central America, from Mexico down to Honduras. Every Santa Claus Swordtail we ship is feeding well.
This is a true livebearer, giving birth to fully formed, free-swimming fry rather than laying eggs. Males develop the species' signature sword-shaped tail extension as they mature; females do not. It's a hardy, easy community fish, though males can spar with each other, so keeping more females than males in a group helps keep things calm. It's also a known jumper, so a secure lid matters. It reaches up to 14cm including the sword, so a 100L tank suits it well.
💡 Highlights
🎄 Festive Red-and-White Colouring: Warm orange tones throughout
⚔️ Signature Sword Tail: Develops in mature males only
🐣 True Livebearer: Gives birth to free-swimming fry, no eggs involved
💪 Hardy and Easy: A reliable community fish for most tanks
🦘 A Known Jumper: A secure lid is recommended
🧾 A Quick Look at the Santa Claus Swordtail
📛 Common Name: Santa Claus Swordtail
🔬 Scientific Name: Xiphophorus hellerii
👨👩👧 Family: Poeciliidae (livebearer family)
🌍 Origin: Central America (Mexico to Honduras)
📏 Max Size: Up to 14cm (≈ 5.5"), including the sword
💧 pH Range: 7.0-8.2
🌡️ Temperature Range: 22-28°C (72-82°F)
🧠 Care Level: Beginner
💖 Temperament: Peaceful; males may spar with each other
🌿 Planted Tank Safe: Yes
🏠 Min Tank Size: 100 L (≈ 26 gallons)
📌 Tank Level: Midwater
🧬 Stock Type: Captive-bred as standard stock
⏳ Lifespan: 3-5 years
🍽️ Diet: Omnivore
🐣 Reproduction: Livebearer; gives birth to free-swimming fry roughly every 4 weeks

















