swordtail

Thân thiện

A colorful swordtail swims among the plants in a home aquarium.

Definition

Noun: 1. A small, colorful freshwater fish (Xiphophorus hellerii) native to Central America, characterized by the male having a long, pointed lower tail fin that resembles a sword. It is a popular species for home aquariums.

Usage

• The swordtail is a livebearing fish, meaning it gives birth to free-swimming young instead of laying eggs.
• A male swordtail can be easily identified by the elongated extension on its tail fin.
• Many aquarium hobbyists keep swordtails because they are hardy and come in many color varieties.

Advanced Usage

• In scientific contexts, the swordtail is often studied for its genetics and mating behaviors.
• The term can be used attributively (like an adjective) in compound nouns, such as swordtail population or swordtail breeding.

Variants and Related Words

• Platy (Noun): A closely related fish () from the same genus, often kept with swordtails in aquariums. Platies are similar but lack the distinct "sword" tail extension.
• Livebearer (Noun): A general term for fish that give birth to live young, a category which includes swordtails, platies, guppies, and mollies.

Synonyms

• Green swordtail (Noun): Another common name for the same species, referring to its wild-type coloration.
• Xiphophorus hellerii (Noun): The scientific (Latin) name for the species.

Related Phrases/Idioms

• None directly associated. The word "swordtail" is a specific zoological/common name and is not typically used in idiomatic English expressions.

Học thuật

Noun

1. freshwater fish of Central America having a long swordlike tail; popular aquarium fish

Từ đồng nghĩa

• helleri
• topminnow
• Xyphophorus helleri