Cross breeding mollies and platies?

ok here is the issue I have, we were givin a tank and some fish that were all suposed to be mollies, and were all female. then we bought for the kids a male platy, then we were given three female guppies. now it seems that the largest molly is pregnant. So I guess the question I have is can mollies and platies cross breed and if so will the guppies also?? ???

 

Guppies can breed with mollies, but platies can not. they could've already been impregnated before you got them, though.

 

welcome to fishlore! ;D

I think that with livebearers, anything's possible.. but you can bring home all female mollies and still have a pregnant one when you do. we bought 4 female platys and ended up with fry.

 

thank you for answering so quickly, I have 2 kids that keep asking me when the babies will be born any ideas what to tell them they are 6 & 7 years old and have so many questions!

 

Hi. Welcome to Fishlore

The livebearers usually give birth every 4 weeks or so... So you wouldn't have to wait too long before having baby mollies

 

I've had guppies and plattys cross-breed so you never know.

 

Ooooo, am really interested to know if they can cross-breed or not. I thought they could. Keep us posted about how the sprogs look.

 

there is guppy tailed balloon mollies so u never no

Peace Out Callum!

 

I was pretty sure all livebearers could cross breed.

 

so was I but i'm not sure I was just assuming

Peace Out Callum!

 

Ooooh, am really curious now.

 

thank you for answering so quickly, I have 2 kids that keep asking me when the babies will be born any ideas what to tell them they are 6 & 7 years old and have so many questions!

if this is her first drop of fry, it could take as long as 7 weeks, but then every 25-28 days for following batches. she'll also drop a batch over several days so we checked the tank for 3-5 days after finding fry each time.

 

I am positive not all livebearers can cross-breed. That is like saying a horse and a human can crossbreed... they are both livebearers, but that doesn't happen.

 

Well some livebearers can cross breed for sure. So we're open to the idea that mollies and platies can. Different species of livebearers are more like horses and donkeys. There are definite cases of interbreeding but in general, they can't produce fertile offsprings.

 

They are not in the same genus, so it is doubtful that they can cross.

Mollies and guppies are in the same genus and thus can produce offspring ( though the oddspring are sterile).

Platies and swordtails are a different genus from mollies and guppies and thus should not be able to produce offspring.

 

Ah of course. Peocilia.

 

They are not in the same genus, so it is doubtful that they can cross.

Mollies and guppies are in the same genus and thus can produce offspring ( though the oddspring are sterile).

Platies and swordtails are a different genus from mollies and guppies and thus should not be able to produce offspring.

yer ohh course *looks around* I knew that I was er.. testing u

Peace Out Callum!

 

I say keep an open mind, Cal. You never know, imagine their faces if they DO end up interbreeding.

 

At that point, I guess my bachelors of science in biology won't be worth anything.

 

I am all for open-mindedness, but there comes a point where one must say that it is improbable if not the very sliver of a billionth of a percent away from being impossible. (Sure no one can truely say completely impossible on anything, but so close to it that it will likely never happen in the lifetime of our planet can be said.) To honestly believe that two creatures from different GENERA can crossbreed is showing a lack of understanding of scientific taxonomy.

[Not trying to make anyone feel insulted or offended, just stating a fact.]







(Edited the post to correct my misuse of the plural of genus. I had GENII, but it is clearly GENERA.)

 

I say keep an open mind, Cal. You never know, imagine their faces if they DO end up interbreeding.

yer it would be funny

Peace Out Callum!

 

Nor mine in Zoology! LOL All these years of study wasted. In my defense, my research thesis was on earthworms, not mollies, LOL.

At that point, I guess my bachelors of science in biology won't be worth anything.

Hey, the Chief, we were messing about. We believe you.

And I don't think most people on the forum would even know what a genus is, never mind the correct latin form, LOL.

I am all for open-mindedness, but there comes a point where one must say that it is improbable if not the very sliver of a billionth of a percent away from being impossible. (Sure no one can truely say completely impossible on anything, but so close to it that it will likely never happen in the lifetime of our planet can be said.) To honestly believe that two creatures from different GENERA can crossbreed is showing a lack of understanding of scientific taxonomy.

[Not trying to make anyone feel insulted or offended, just stating a fact.]

(Edited the post to correct my misuse of the plural of genus. I had GENII, but it is clearly GENERA.)

 

I figured you were, but I just try to make posts so that if someone finds them by random searches they won't take joking as true fact.

 

WOW!!! This is all new to me - I have (quite accidently) been breeding mollies and platy's and guppies for about 18 months now after 20 years of no fry for no obvious reason. Some of my fry have been born looking like guppies but with bent spines. Could this be with 'cross breeding'?

 

Serious? Platies and mollies? Oooh, Callum, we've won ourselves a million dollars!

 

yay I won 5 bucks yesterday for winning a bet with my uncle on the footy.

shut down dino and cheif_water changer.

I think that they just have bent spines or was it all of them?

Peace Out Calulm!

 

Well am, not sure am reading it right. It could still be that the guppies bred wiht the mollies. We'd better still act modest until we're sure, LOL.

I had heard that fry that are the result of cross-breeding come out misshapen (bent spine, etc.)

 

I would like to point out that unless I read it incorrectly she said she has breed the three, not the three together.

I'm not trying to ruin anyone's fun, however I am a more serious person when it comes to someone wanting correct information. To give them the hint (whether playing or not) that something is possible when it is just not possible is not what we are here to do. There are plenty of threads on this forum for joking, and I just don't see it necessary to do so under one of the serious threads.

So if anyone thinks Dino and I are being squares, so be it.

 

WOW!!! This is all new to me - I have (quite accidently) been breeding mollies and platy's and guppies for about 18 months now after 20 years of no fry for no obvious reason. Some of my fry have been born looking like guppies but with bent spines. Could this be with 'cross breeding'?

The bent spines are usually from a vitamin deficiency. In breeding can be a contributing factor also. All of those fish are from environments that have a lot of algae or decaying plants to nibble. Yes I know they are domesticated now but sometimes their dietary needs stick around.
Carol

 

As it plainly shows here, the fish involved have a different chromosome count.

So, even if they were in the same genus, they would not produce viable offspring.

At best, the fry would develope inside the mother and abort before term.

You know, there are enough sites putting out misinformation out there, with out a thread like this dragging Fishlore in that direction.

All joking aside, and I admit I joke more than most, the main reason I am here is to help people with their fish.
Allowing misinformation to be taken as fact, is not what I feel this site is about.

 

Exactly, I think we might not get away with it, Callum, LOL.

I would like to point out that unless I read it incorrectly she said she has breed the three, not the three together.

No, I don't think you're being squares at all, and I also cannot stand people spreading unchecked misinformation as fact, but that's precisely what we're not doing. We're just saying that we didn't study the genetics, and are wondering whether it's possible, and somemone comes along and says they've experienced this, so we're exploring the possibility that the experience he reports is not a complete misunderstanding with his wording. All the while you have references on this that claim it's genetically impossible. That pretty much sums it up. Noone is going to use this thread as a central point of reference for livebearer breeding.

All sentencse are very careful not to state supposition as fact, but as supposition. If you find a misleading one, I'll re-phrase it to make it clearer.

I'm not trying to ruin anyone's fun, however I am a more serious person when it comes to someone wanting correct information. To give them the hint (whether playing or not) that something is possible when it is just not possible is not what we are here to do. There are plenty of threads on this forum for joking, and I just don't see it necessary to do so under one of the serious threads.

So if anyone thinks Dino and I are being squares, so be it.

 

Exactly, I think we might not get away with it, Callum, LOL.

I would like to point out that unless I read it incorrectly she said she has breed the three, not the three together.

darn I wanted my million dollars

Peace Out Callum!

 

She was most likely pregnant from the store, but the guppies could've got her pregnant as well, I think that guppies and mollies can cross breed and that platies and swordtails can cross breed.

 

Correct, both sets of fishes can breed within their own group.

 

But seriously though, Dino. I do keep open about unlikely cross-breeding as taxonomy can be remarkably hopeless (I can't recall how many species names sailfin mollies got, nor how many families they have belonged to). Also, cross-breeding of unlikely fish species has and can happen according to more experienced aquarists than myself.

But this is a generic remark, and not related to platys and mollies in particular. As you've studied and experienced the specific subject, I bow to your experience and knowledge .

 

I have a guppy that won't leave my female swordtail alone! if it is possible for them to crossbread then I will find out soon enough.