Remarks: Kohaku koi swordtails possess a patch of reddish-orange on their head and on their tail with a silvery-white body in-between. "Kohaku" means "amber" in Japanese which is fitting for such an intensely colored fish. Their vibrant reddish-orange patches and high contrast results in a striking fish that stands out well in just about any aquarium. Swordtails are peaceful community fish that reproduce with ease. They are livebearers, meaning the females release live fry rather than laying eggs. It is recommended to keep more females than males, as males can easily harass females with relentless attempts to reproduce, leading to stress in the females. Dominant males will begin developing swords and a modified anal fin, called a gonopodium, around 1-1.5" in length. However, it is not uncommon for less dominant males to maintain the physical appearance of a female until much later in life (even as large as 4"!) Some have also reported the strange phenomenon of these fish occasionally changing gender with it typically occurring with older, large females becoming male with mixed results in regards to them remaining fertile.
