Poecilia reticulata var. Green Cobra- Poecilia reticulata distribution
- Poecilia reticulata var. Blue Moscow
Family: Poeciliidae;
Genus: Poecilia;
Species and synonyms: Guppy (Poecilia reticulata, Lebistes reticulatus, Guppy).
GBIF:
Guppy (lat. Poecilia reticulata) is a species of livebearing ray-finned fish from the order Cyprinodontiformes, family Poeciliidae, genus Poecilia.
Distribution. The natural range of the guppy covers freshwater and brackish water bodies of South America: Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil and the islands of Trinidad and Barbados. Due to their hardiness and popularity in the aquarium trade, guppies have been introduced to tropical and subtropical regions worldwide to control malaria-carrying mosquitoes. Today, wild populations of guppies can be found in standing waters and slow-flowing rivers of Asia, Africa, Australia, and even in some water bodies of Southern Europe.
Care requirements. Guppies are ideal fish for beginner aquarists due to their hardiness and the bright coloration of males. The recommended aquarium volume is from 30 liters for a small group. Optimal water temperature: 22–26°C, hardness: 10–25 dGH, pH: 6.5–8.5. Filtration and weekly water changes of 20–25% are necessary. Guppies are omnivorous: they accept dry flakes, live and frozen foods (bloodworms, brine shrimp, tubifex). A varied diet is important for maintaining color brightness. Males grow up to 3–4 cm, females — up to 5–6 cm. Females are distinguished by their larger size, rounded abdomen and less bright coloration compared to males.
Guppies are livebearers, which greatly simplifies their breeding. To obtain fry, it is enough to keep a male and a female together in good conditions. Pregnancy lasts about 3–4 weeks, fry are born fully formed and immediately capable of feeding on small foods (brine shrimp, nauplii, crushed flakes). To preserve the offspring, it is recommended to use dense thickets of plants (for example, Java moss), where the fry can hide from being eaten by adult fish.
Guppies have an amazing variety of selective forms and colors: snakeskin, veiltail, roundtail, swordtail, as well as all colors of the rainbow — from classic yellow and blue to exotic metallic and neon shades. Thanks to many years of selection, breeds with veiled tails reaching 2/3 of the body length have been developed.