Footage uploaded to YouTube in 2010 highlights a population of beautiful, polymorphic Variatus Platies. But is there more to the story?
Footage uploaded to YouTube by Xiphophorus.net in 2010 highlights a population of beautiful, polymorphic Variatus Platies. But is there more to the story?

Every once in a while AMAZONAS staff stumbles across a video that stops us in our tracks. This week, for me, it’s 5 minutes of in-situ, underwater footage showing the male polymorphism of Xiphophorus variatus, with dominant males sporting either yellow or red tails. These wild-type Variatus Platies or “Platyfish” are remarkable & highly attractive.

The footage shows males Xiphopohrus variatus with both yellow and red-orange caudal fins.

A mysterious locale…

However, It’s unclear whether this footage, at a location called “SKHC”, documents a native population located in the Americas, or a feral/introduced population in Hong Kong, as some of the comments suggest.

This stunning male aggressively courts a female, attempting to elicit a mating response.
This stunning male aggressively courts a female, attempting to elicit a mating response.

The video was uploaded back in 2010 by Xiphophorus.net, which sadly appears to no longer exist. Thanks to the amazing project of the Wayback Machine (a.k.a. Archive.org), nothing on the Internet is usually lost. So, you can still head over and sift the archives of Xiphophrus.net over there! (and maybe kick in some financial support for Archive.org if you appreciate what they do!) Of note, I did manage to uncover this beautiful image of these fish that had been preserved in the Archive.

Xiphophorus variatus 'SKHC'. Image retrieved via Archive.org. Image Credit: Xiphophorus.net
Xiphophorus variatus ‘SKHC’, male with yellow dorsal and caudal fin. Image retrieved via Archive.org. Image Credit: Xiphophorus.net

Sadly I couldn’t find any more info on the “location” of “SKHC” even when I managed to dig into the source. Meanwhile, the Internet thinks SKHC is somewhere in Colombia…

There may be clues…

If you pay close attention, you’ll catch glimpses of other fish species in this video. The male Swordtail is rather obvious, but the others are blurry at best.

A male Swordtail, presumably X. helleri, zips in and out of the frame a few times during the video.
This species of silver fish with a black horizontal stripe (upper right) appears several times in the video. Is it a characin or cyprinid?
This angular-bodied fish (lower left) appears reminiscent of a barb, which might lend credence to the idea that these fish are a feral population somewhere in Asia.
Is this a goby resting on the rock at lower left?

Perhaps you’re the AMAZONAS reader who can help us unravel this mysterious location with definitive certainty? Think you can help? Check out these screen captures, watch the video, and share your thoughts!

WATCH Xiphophorus variatus ‘SKHC’ 2010, NOW!