Editing Southern platyfish (section)

{{Short description|Species of fish}}
{{About|the freshwater fish|other uses|Moonfish (disambiguation){{!}}Moonfish}}
{{More citations needed|date=February 2015}}
{{Speciesbox
| name               = Southern platyfish
| status = DD
| status_system = IUCN3.1
| status_ref = <ref name="iucn status 19 November 2021">{{cite iucn |author=Daniels, A. |date=2019 |title=''Xiphophorus maculatus'' |volume=2019 |page=e.T191784A2003232 |doi=10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191784A2003232.en |access-date=19 November 2021}}</ref>
| status2             = G5
| status2_system      = TNC
| status2_ref = <ref name = NS>{{cite web|url=https://explorer.natureserve.org/Taxon/ELEMENT_GLOBAL.2.105577/Xiphophorus_maculatus| title = Xiphophorus maculatus – (Günther, 1866) | access-date = 31 May 2023| publisher = NatureServe}}</ref>
| image              = Rainbow wag platy.jpg
|image_caption       = Female ‘rainbow wagtail’ platy
| taxon           = Xiphophorus maculatus
| authority = ([[Albert C. L. G. Günther|Günther]], 1866)
}}

The '''southern platyfish''', '''common platy''', or '''moonfish'''  ('''''Xiphophorus maculatus''''') is a [[species]] of [[freshwater fish]] in [[family (biology)|family]] [[Poeciliidae]] of [[order (biology)|order]] [[Cyprinodontiformes]].  A [[live-bearing aquarium fish|live-bearer]], it is closely related to the [[green swordtail]] (''X. hellerii'') and can interbreed with it.  It is native to an area of North and Central America stretching from [[Veracruz]], [[Mexico]], to northern [[Belize]].

The southern platyfish grows to a maximum overall length of {{Convert|6.0|cm|abbr=on}}. [[Sexual dimorphism]] is slight, the male's [[caudal fin]] being more pointed.  The [[Fish fin|anal fin]] of the male fish has evolved into a [[Fish fin|gonopodium]], a stick-shaped organ used for [[reproduction]]. The female southern platyfish's anal fin is fan shaped. Wild varieties are drab in [[Coloration evidence for natural selection|coloration]], lacking the distinctive dark lateral line common to many ''Xiphophorus'' species.

''X. [[List of Latin and Greek words commonly used in systematic names|maculatus]]'' prefers slow-moving waters of canals, ditches, and warm springs.  [[Omnivore|Omnivorous]], its diet includes both plants and small [[crustacean]]s, [[insect]]s, and [[annelid]] worms.

Breeders have developed a multitude of color varieties (e.g. orange, red, yellow, red/black, and black/white) which are common [[aquarium]] fish for hobbyists.

The southern platyfish is commonly known simply as the '''[[Platypus|platy]]''' (pl. platys or platies), from the fish's original [[genus|generic]] name, ''Platypoecilus''.