Molly Fish Color Varieties

While the black molly remains the most popular and inexpensive color variety of molly fish, dozens of other varieties also exist. Because mollies are prolific and robust, breeders and enthusiasts have popularized several beautiful color strains of this brackish-water fish. As a molly enthusiast, I've enjoyed watching and breeding the dozens of varieties of molly that appear on the market. The genetic variability and eager breeding habits of the molly make it an excellent choice for anyone who is interested in fish genetics. The following molly color varieties are among the most popular commercially available types.

Wild Type Molly

In the wild, mollies have a dull green-gray coloration; however, more colorful color strains sometimes appear sporadically in the wild. Wild mollies tend to be hardier than their cultivated counterparts.

Black Molly

The most popular molly color variety on the market, these beautiful onyx fish carry a mutation similar to the melanistic gene responsible for a black panther's coloration. It rarely occurs in the wild and it was the first unusual color strain to be cultivated in captivity.

Gold Molly

Yellow-orange mollies, sometimes sold as gold or creamsicle mollies, are among the most visually stunning varieties of this fish. Geneticists and molly breeders refer to this mutation as xanthochromism; it is seen in many other species including dozens of cyprinids.

Gold Dust Molly

The increasingly popular "gold dust" molly occurs as a result of interbreeding between black and gold mollies. Because the two alleles are codominant--they both express themselves on the same individual-- the fish are usually black with golden patches.

Silver Molly

White or silver mollies come in two varieties: albino and leucistic. Albino mollies have pinkish or red eyes, whereas leucistic molllies have normal-hued eyes. Both have a dazzling pearl-like coloration.

Marble Molly

Because many molly genes are codominant, several color varieties combine multiple hues on one fish. Marble mollies result when silver and block mollies interbreed; they may have a marbled or piebald appearance.

Dalmation Molly

There are few major differences between a marble molly and a dalmation molly, but most breeders consider a fish to be dalmation if it has significantly more white on its body than black. Like marble mollies, dalmation mollies result from interbreeding between black and white varieties.

Calico Molly

Rarely, black, white and gold mollies will interbreed to create offspring with all three colors. These are considered to be calico, tortoiseshell or tricolor mollies and I find them to be the most beautiful domestic strain available.

Other rare molly color varieties include the red molly and blue molly, which are not true mollies-- rather, they are the result of extensive cross-breeding with platies and swordtails. These varieties are rarely sold in pet stores, but some private breeders sell them via the internet.