Here's a fish with real flair: the swordtail, also called Xipho. Look at its long caudal fin whose lower edge stretches like a tiny sword. Don't worry—it's for showing off and impressing, not for cutting your pencils. In the wild it lives in Central America, in warm, calm rivers. It likes to weave through plants and nibble on small prey and algae. Its streamlined body is built for speed, and it sometimes freezes suddenly to look around. The male carries the "sword" while the female doesn't, which makes them easy to tell apart at a glance. The Xipho is a livebearing fish: instead of laying eggs, the female gives birth to tiny, fully formed fry. It's a true star among ornamental fish—curious and peaceful. With its smiling mouth and big shining eye, it looks like it's greeting you.

In this illustration, it's gliding to the right like an arrow that decided to turn back. You can almost hear it whisper, "So, what colors will you dress me in today?" You can color this page online or print it to do by hand—your choice. For its scales, you might choose a bright poppy red to show off its shape. You could also go for a warm mandarin orange like some aquarium varieties, or a slightly olive emerald green for a wilder look. The large dorsal fin will look splendid in saffron yellow with orange edging, but it can also go soft with a very pale lagoon blue. The tail "sword" gains elegance with slate gray or smoky gray, and you can darken the tip to suggest speed. The small fins near the head will look lovely in buttercup yellow or honey amber. The pelvic fins can match the body color or add contrast in steel blue. Around the eye, a ring of pearl white will soften its gaze, while the pupil stays deep black with a bright highlight. If you like shimmer, add a moss-green line along the back to mimic light at the surface, and scatter a few golden touches on the scales as if sunlight were filtering through the waves. And for extra flair, try a tail that fades from garnet purple to coral orange—it'll get the whole aquarium talking.

Grab your crayons or your mouse, get comfy, and turn this coloring page into a swordtail that makes the most beautiful waves of color!