Platy Colors: 19 Types of Platy Fish

Platy fish are small, hardy livebearers from the Atlantic coast of Mexico and Central America. They have been bred for decades, so they now come in dozens of colors, patterns and fin shapes. Their peaceful temperament and easy care make them a common first fish.

Platy colors include yellow, gold, red, orange, blue and black, and the patterns are named for what they look like, such as bumblebee, tuxedo and Mickey Mouse. All of them have the same basic care, so you can pick by looks. This guide covers 19 of the most popular types.

Almost every platy color and pattern needs the same care: a tank of at least 10 gallons, water around 70-78°F, a pH of about 7.0-8.0 and moderately hard water, and a group with more females than males. A platy grows to about 2 to 3 inches and lives around 3 to 4 years.

What Colors Do Platy Fish Come In?

Platies come in red, orange, yellow, gold, blue, green, white and black, plus mixed patterns. Patterns and fin shapes are bred separately, so one color can appear with many patterns. Common patterns include the wagtail (black fins), tuxedo (a black rear half), Mickey Mouse (three spots at the tail base), calico, salt and pepper, and comet. Hifin and pintail are fin shapes, not colors.

Most store platies are hybrids. The two platy species, the southern platy (Xiphophorus maculatus) and the variatus platy (X. variatus), interbreed easily, and many strains also carry swordtail genes. So the names below are trade names for looks, not separate species.

Bumblebee Platy Fish

The bumblebee platy has a bright yellow body and a black head, which makes it one of the easiest ways to add yellow to a tank. Some bumblebee fish have black spots that encroach upon their body.

Like most platy varieties, bumblebee platies are easy to care for and accept most aquarium foods.

Gold Red Platy Fish

The gold red platy fish is named for its gradient coloring. The front half of the body is light gold in color, while the rear half of the fish turns dark red. The gold red’s fins are black or clear.

The gold red pattern has also been bred in other colors. If you like the pattern but not the gold and red, ask your fish store for other color forms.

Blue and green variations exist. The gold red form is known for its black markings.

Salt and Pepper Platy Fish

Salt and pepper platies are a good choice for beginners because they need no special care.

Named after their pattern, salt and pepper platies have small black spots scattered over the body.

The body color under the spots varies, and what you can buy depends on local stock.

Parrot Platy Fish

The parrot platy is usually orange or gold, but it also comes in other colors.

Parrot platies are easily identified by the v-shaped triangular marking on their tails, and two black stripes that run along the edges of the tail.

Hifin Platy Fish

Hifin platy fish – also called high fin, moonfish, or sailfin platies in some pet stores – are a good first fish if you want something showier. They stand out because of their tall dorsal fins. Sellers often class them as variatus platies, and variatus generally tolerates slightly cooler water than southern platies.

Their tall fins can attract fin nipping, so avoid keeping hifin platies with known fin nippers such as tiger barbs.

Watch the fins regularly for rips or fraying, which can be the first sign of nipping or poor water quality.

Hifin platies can be found in most of the same colors and patterns of other types of platy fish. For example, you can find hifin salt and pepper platies.

Pintail Platy Fish

Like the hifin platy, the pintail has a distinctive shape. Its tail has elongated center rays that form a point.

This long tail can make people confuse a pintail platy with a swordtail. On a swordtail, the extension runs along the bottom edge of the tail. On a pintail, it runs through the middle.

Pintails come in many colors and patterns.

The tail adds length, but a small group of pintails still fits in a 10-gallon tank at the minimum.

Dalmatian Platy Fish

The dalmatian platy fish, known for its namesake, is easy to identify by its white body and black spots.

The dalmatian platy adds little color, but the black and white contrast stands out.

Like all platies, dalmatian platies do best in a group with more females than males. Different platy types will interbreed, so mixing them gives mixed offspring.

Rainbow Platy Fish

Rainbow platy fish display a range of iridescent colors across their bodies that sparkle under aquarium lights and contrast beautifully against their black tail and pale head.

The rainbow platy is a good pick if you want many colors on one fish, and the effect is stronger in a group.

Calico Platy Fish

The calico platy has dense black spots over the tail that spread up the body and fade out near the head.

Calicos come in several base colors, and blue is common.

Neon Gold Calico Platy Fish

The neon gold calico is a calico platy with golden-orange bodies covered by the typical calico spots.

The orange and spotted look resembles a koi.

Comet Platy Fish

The comet platy fish is notable for the black bar print on its tail fin. A bold black stripe runs from the beginning of both the top and bottom edges of the comet’s tail, to the tail fringe. Because of its markings, the comet platy sometimes goes by the name twin bar platy.

Comets come in several colors, with yellow and orange the most popular, and the pale body makes the black bars stand out.

Green Lantern Platy Fish

The body of the green lantern platy is iridescent. When swimming beneath aquarium lights, the scales shine silver, blue, and green.

Green lantern platies are less common in stores than most of the types here, so you may need to ask a specialty store or breeder.

Malibu Sunset Platy Fish

The Malibu sunset platy fish has two colors separated at the middle of the body. The front of the fish is silver with flecks of blue, and the rear of the body is a deep orange. These colors splash together over the fins, too.

Its simple two-tone design works well with other colors.

Black Hamberg Platy Fish

Black Hamberg platies are mostly black, with clear fins and a pale orange head and belly.

The black body can look glossy under aquarium lights.

Tuxedo Platy Fish

The tuxedo platy fish is primarily black, paired with other beautiful colors. This platy species comes in a large variety of color combinations, including the red and yellow sunburst tuxedo platy, the blue-red tuxedo metallic platy, red gold tuxedo platy, blue tuxedo platy, and many more.

The tuxedo platy’s color runs from head to tail, and surrounds a large black patch that covers most of the fish’s side. This black patch makes the platy fish look like it is wearing a tuxedo.

Panda Platy Fish

The panda platy fish is popular among aquarists for its panda-like printing. Some panda platies have blue and pink coloring near their gills.

The design of a panda platy fish is an example of a common platy pattern called the wagtail design, which gives the fish solid black fins.

Neon Blue Wagtail Platy Fish

The neon blue wagtail platy fish is probably the most common example of the wagtail design.

Neon blue wagtails have dark fins and a vivid blue body, which stands out against a dark tank.

Availability varies, so you may need to order them.

Mickey Mouse Platy Fish

The Mickey Mouse platy is one of the most distinctive types of platy fish. A large spot on the base of this platy’s tail is connected to two smaller spots, which together resemble the head of the famous Disney character, Mickey Mouse.

The Mickey Mouse pattern is a selectively bred trait and can appear on many body colors.

Swordtail Platy Fish

The types above are mostly color and fin forms of platy fish. The swordtail platy is a platy with a swordtail-style tail extension. True swordtails (Xiphophorus hellerii) are a separate, closely related species that grows larger and cross-breeds with platies, which is where sword-tailed platies come from.

The sword is an extension on the lower edge of the tail fin. Males usually have the longest sword.

Care is the same as for other platies. If you have a true swordtail instead, plan for a bigger tank because they grow larger.

How Do You Choose the Right Platy Type?

Pick by look. All platy types are peaceful and easy to care for. The only real difference is fin shape: hifin and other long-finned types are more likely to be nipped, so avoid fin nippers like tiger barbs if you choose them.

There are many more types of platy fish than the 19 listed here, and breeders keep making new color and fin combinations. Buy fish that are active, eat well and have clear eyes and undamaged fins.

How Do You Care for Platy Fish?

Platy fish need a tank of at least 10 gallons, with 20 gallons better for a mixed group and for long-finned types. Keep the temperature around 70-78°F, with a pH of about 7.0-8.0 and moderately hard water. Soft, acidic water does not suit them. Feed a varied diet of flakes, pellets and frozen food.

Keep at least two or three females for every male, because males chase females constantly. Platies are livebearers, and females can give birth about every month. Provide plants or hiding spots if you want fry to survive in a community tank.

Can You Mix Different Platy Types Together?

Yes. Different platy types get along and will interbreed, so the babies can look like either parent or something in between. If you want a pure line, keep one type in the tank.

Frequently Asked Questions

What colors do platy fish come in?

Platies come in red, orange, yellow, gold, blue, green, black and white, plus patterns like calico, tuxedo and wagtail. Most store fish are hybrids, so color names describe looks rather than species.

How many platies should live together?

Keep a group of three to six platies, with at least two females for every male. Males chase females constantly, so extra females spread out his attention.

What type of fish is a platy?

A platy is a livebearer, a small freshwater fish in the family Poeciliidae that gives birth to live young instead of laying eggs. Livebearer fry are usually bigger, faster and more likely to survive than egg-hatched fry.

How many babies do platies typically give birth to?

A female platy typically has 20 to 50 babies a month in good conditions, and large broods of up to 80 are not uncommon. Gestation takes around 4 to 6 weeks. Different platy types interbreed, so the babies can look like either parent or something in between.

What is the difference between a platy and a swordtail?

A swordtail is a separate, larger species with a sword-shaped extension on the lower tail. Platies are smaller and have a rounded tail. The two cross-breed, which produces platies with sword tails.

How big do platy fish get?

Most platies reach 2 to 3 inches and live 3 to 4 years with good care.