Fans of observing the underwater kingdom believe that the most popular aquarium fish are guppies. These babies are a subspecies of the Petsiliev family, numbering more than one hundred and seventy of the most diverse species of live-bearing freshwater fish.
There are varieties of guppies (we will present a photo and a name in this article) that can adapt to life in moderate salt water.
Spread in nature
This breed of fish was brought to Europe from the island of Trinidad, where they live in fresh clear water and feed on live food (mosquito pricks, larvae, moths, mosquitoes, small insects). In vivo, guppies are much smaller than aquariums. Guppy fish species are found in the north of the Amazon, in Venezuela and Brazil, South America on the islands of Barbados, Trinidad.
They are unpretentious and can live in different conditions. For this reason, they can sometimes be found in small cool ponds. Surprisingly, the wild population lives in the Moscow River in the area of Lyubertsy, and these severe fish are not even afraid of severe Russian frosts.
Gender differences
All varieties of guppies (photos you can see in this article) have some common characteristics. This primarily concerns gender differences. The viviparous female does not lay eggs like the vast majority of fish, but gives birth to live fry. She is noticeably larger than the male - the length of her body ranges from 3 to 7 centimeters. It can be distinguished from a male by color, which is not so saturated and bright, and if the female is waiting for offspring, then her abdomen is enlarged. Individuals living in natural conditions have colorless caudal fins and grayish scales, inhabitants of aquariums, breeding species, have a brighter color.
Males do not exceed four centimeters in length. They are distinguished by a moving copulative feather called gonopodia. It can be with and without a claw. This is the organ of reproduction. Thoroughbred males have a large, beautiful and long plumage. Thanks to him, the small body seems much larger.
Guppy Types
Guppy species, photos and names of which can be found in almost every aquarium guide, are striking in their diversity. In this article we will present you the most popular of them.
Poecilia reticulata
This is the most common aquarium species belonging to the Pecilian fish family. Small individuals, whose life expectancy in the aquarium is three years. This species was bred as a result of crossing wild specimens.
Micro-specialties
Fish from the Peciliev family has a beautiful multi-colored color. She has a more pointed mouth, and some representatives of the species have stripes on the sides and a round spot near the tail. Males grow up to four centimeters, females - up to five. These fish love slightly salted water and prefer to live in a separate aquarium. Owners need to know that this species cannot be crossed with ordinary guppies.
Guppy Endler
This close relative of the usual guppy was first described in 1937 by Franklin F. Bond, who discovered it in Lake Laguna de Patos (Venezuela), but then the fish did not become popular. Moreover, until 1975 it was considered extinct. Today, there are a huge number of subspecies of this fish. Varieties of guppy aquarium Endler we will present to you below.
Females of this species are usually golden or silver in color, while males have a bright color throughout their bodies. Guppy Endler is much smaller than his brothers, their size does not exceed four centimeters. Such a fish lives no more than a year and a half.
Types of Tails and Fins
Today, guppy aquarium species can be divided into two categories: color and type of fins and tails. The tail plumage can have different lengths and shapes. The longest it is in needle-tailed individuals - equal to the length of the body. The dorsal fins of all species, without exception, are raised at the base. According to the type of tails, the fish are divided into:
- needle-tailed - with rounded tips;
- flag-tailed - resembling a raised flag;
- veil-tail (or skirt) - plumage resembles a veil;
- spear-tailed - similar to a pointed spear;
- lyrebird - has the form of a lyre;
- double sword - lower and upper feathers look like a pointed sword;
- upper sword - tail upper rays are pointed and have the shape of a sword;
- triangel - a triangular tail that resembles an incompletely open fan;
- fan-tailed - resembles an open fan with a rounded tip.
Guppies: varieties by color, photo
All existing guppy species are breeding, artificially bred varieties of ordinary fish. By color, the most common are blue with red, yellow tails, as well as red fireworks, German red blond, Berlin gold, tomato and others.
Yellow german guppies
The fishes have a distinct yellow color: from light yellow to bright lemon. The breed, bred by German breeders, has a delicate golden hue, the scales shimmer in different colors - from saturated ultramarine to light blue, the head of the fish is white.
Moscow blue guppies
They have a characteristic rich and brilliant blue color: from a pale blue to the color of a dark night sky. Selection categories have magnificent plumage, and the body size reaches 4 and 5 centimeters.
Moscow blue-green
They have a blue-green color with black, blue, gold and white blotches. The head is silver, light.
Red blond
The fish got its unusual name because of the bright red color that prevails in the color of the tail. The head is white and the body is whitish with a golden dusting.
Carnation
In this fish, the tail resembles the ragged edges of a flower. It is painted in orange-red or orange with dark spots, resembling a complex carpet pattern.
Venezuela Japanese
A dwarf variety of guppies with a colorful color. It has multi-colored red, black, green, golden, blue spots and stripes.
Black Prince
This spectacular fish was bred in Moscow. The individuals are distinguished by the black color of the caudal fin. Head with whitish silver and gold tones. Fins can also be golden, silver, purple and blue.
Red Dragon
A completely scarlet variety of guppies. Her body can reach (and even exceed) four centimeters. Elite representatives of this species even have red eyes. There are individuals with white, dark and golden blotches.
Tiger king
The fish has a richly colored tail in orange and yellow tones, resembling a tiger skin. He is a fan type.
Green cobra
One of the most popular breeding forms in our country. This guppy variety has a body painted in a greenish-golden color with a silver shine, which is very similar to a cobra. The tail is in yellow-green tones with brown stripes and spots, which also suggest an association with the snake.
Guppies Berliners
Mostly painted in various shades of blue: from blue to deep purple. The head and tail feathers are white. Dorsal fins - fiery orange.
Guppy mix
This variety of aquarium guppies was obtained by crossing various elite fish. It has a clear and deep color of luxury categories.
Neon guppies
This view is distinguished by a silver neon strip on the back. The tail is painted in sky blue, the abdomen and feathers are golden and white. Dark, white, greenish blotches and overflows are clearly distinguishable.
Guppy sunset
The bodies of these fish, no more than four centimeters in length, are painted in a neon silver shade, the fins are usually lemon yellow, and the tail feathers have a red border resembling the flickering flame of a candle.
Guppy Endler: Varieties
And now, as promised, we will tell you about the varieties of the smallest guppies - Endler. Among them are some interesting specimens.
Blue Star
Representatives of the species are distinguished by a blue back and bright orange wings of gills. In all individuals, regardless of gender, the tail has a fan shape, in males, the lower rays are colored in dark colors. They are transformed into a small xiphoid process.
Blue kite
This species got its name because of the complex pattern in the form of snake skin, which is located on the sides of the body. The caudal fin is colored blue, and a white stripe frames the top of the tail.
Campona El Tigre
A subspecies of Endler's guppy, living in a tributary of the El Tigre, in Venezuela. There is currently no reliable information that this fish has been preserved in natural conditions, but it is quite common in amateur aquariums. This species does not have blue tones in its color. The dominant color is light green.
Campona number 3
On the body of this fish there are all the colors inherent in Endler's guppy, but males have signs that are characteristic only for this subspecies. This is a black xiphoid process on the upper rays of the tail, and on the side is a dark vertical stroke.
Campona number 7
This type of guppy differs from its relatives in the presence of unusual flowers for many other types of flowers. The peculiarity of this subspecies is the “snake pattern” on the abdomen near the pectoral fins, and the upper part of the tail is painted in bright yellow with a dark spot.
Campona number 9
A fish, on the body of which the main colors are randomly arranged, in the form of spots. Interestingly, each male has his own individual pattern. The only thing that unites them is that the fin extended by the back is always yellow. Males use it to attract females - they raise it high and turn it around a little, thereby attracting attention to themselves.
Campona number 17
Significantly different from other species with a bright red upper sword. At the males on the side you can see a round dark spot, and another one, the same, is located at the end of the tail.
Campona number 25
Fish with a dominant orange color. Black and yellow longitudinal strokes are located on the tail. On the caudal fin, the “peacock eye” is clearly visible, and its edge is framed by a snake pattern, which is often called cobra.
We have presented you the most popular types of guppies. The fish, the varieties whose photos you see in this article, are really wonderful. They will decorate any aquarium, and even a novice in this field can take care of them.
Maintenance and care
These are active, strong and tenacious fish. They are not too demanding on the composition of water, but it is desirable that the pH be normal - 7.2, water hardness - 15 dH. To avoid sharp changes in water temperature, install a heater that will constantly regulate it. Guppies feel great at + 26 ° C.
Lighting
Guppy care requires proper lighting. It is a source of vitamin D, and its deficiency can provoke the curvature of the spine of your pets. Continuous lighting is also not beneficial. For fry no more than four hours should last daylight hours, for adult fish - eight. At night, the lights must be turned off.
Scenery
They not only decorate the aquarium, but also serve as a shelter for fish. At the bottom, pour gravel or sand, in which it is easier to place live plants and various designs. Do not forget to arrange shelters: caves, pipes, grottoes, etc.
Feeding
These are omnivorous fish, which should receive both plant and protein foods. At home, you can feed them processed foods: cereals and granules, live and frozen food (bloodworms, daphnia, mosquito larvae, artemia, tubule). You can give fresh finely chopped vegetables (zucchini, tomatoes, lettuce, spinach).