The Alpha swordtail is not actually a very new breed of Xiphophorus hellerii; it already existed, at least in its early stages, as far back as the 1960s. However, it has been heavily hyped in recent years (the last 10 years), and the prices demanded for it are nothing short of sensational, exceeding the prices for other swordtail varieties by a good 10 times or more.
Many people believe that all Alpha swordtails must be jet-black fish with a red base color. But that is incorrect. In fact, Alpha swordtails can be bred in all known swordtail colors and fin shapes. But most of these other breeding forms do not look as spectacular. So what is an Alpha swordtail? The name was coined in the former GDR for fish resulting from the crossbreeding of Hamburg swordtails (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/fisharchive/xiphophorus-hellerii-black/) with other Helleris. The late Xipho breeder Günther Schramm, who experimented with this in the early 1980s, is considered the “father of modern Alpha swordtails.” In all Alphas, the proportion of the Hamburg swordtail’s glossy green “mirror” scales is greatly reduced or absent entirely. Alpha crossbreeds with a green base color have a striking blue sheen. The high price is due to the recessive nature of the Alpha genes. In every breeding line, only a relatively small proportion of the young fish exhibit the desired coloration (at least that is what the breeders report; we do not breed the fish ourselves). In some broods, only females exhibit the desired color combination of velvety black on a red base color; the males then usually look like Viennese (i.e., red albinos) (https://www.aquariumglaser.de/en/18-toothcarps-killis-and-livebearers/xiphophorus_hellerii_wien_lyra_en/).
For our customers: Alpha swordtails are listed under code 420833 in our stocklist. We currently offer only red-and-black specimens, with a mix of fin types (lyra and standard fins). Please note that we supply exclusively to wholesale customers.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
