Swordtails are named for the long, swordlike extension to the caudal fin present in males of the species. Wild specimens of this species tend to be green in color, but many color variants have been made available to aquarium hobbyists by hybridizing this species. In addition to there being a variety of colors to choose from, including black, red, yellow and orange, there also exists several selectively-bred variants such as lyretail, wagtail, tuxedo, hi-fin and albino Swordtails. In the wild, Swordtails are fairly widely distributed, found in parts of western Mexico and southward toward Guatemala as well as in Honduras to the northwest. These fish tend to inhabit shallow, densely-planted streams, canals, swamps and ditches where algae growth is plentiful.