What is the gestation period of a sunburst platy?

Gestation in a healthy female platy lasts about five weeks. Platies are pseudo-livebearers, meaning that the female does not experience a true pregnancy; instead, fertilized eggs are retained inside the mother's body until the young are fully developed and ready for independent life.

A female platy will usually give birth to about 60 fry (baby fish) at one time. Adult fish can and will eat the fry, so owners should either allow the female to give birth in a tank set apart for fry (removing her after she has completed giving birth) or provide plenty of hiding places within a community tank where fry can take shelter from hungry older fish.