Tuxedo Platy Platy
Xiphophorus maculatus
About this strain
The rear half of the body — from roughly the midsection back — is covered in dense black pigment, while the front half retains a base color (often red, orange, or blue), giving the fish the look of wearing a tuxedo. The color break should be fairly sharp and consistent; blurry or mottled transitions indicate weaker line quality. The black rear section absorbs light rather than reflecting it, so Tuxedo Platyfish often look best against light-colored substrate. A robust and popular variety. Can sometimes be confused with the Tuxedo modifier in swordtails, but in maculatus-based platyfish the pattern tends to be somewhat more variable.
Origin
Tuxedo patterning is the result of the 'nigra' or macromelanophore gene complex, recognized and selectively developed in Xiphophorus by German and American breeders from at least the 1930s–40s onward. Commercial production spread globally through the latter 20th century.