Located in Cuba. Males reaches 1.7 inches and Females 2.7 inches. The dimorphism is cool, They olive gray-gold color with blue iridescent scales similar and a thick lateral line going across the mid section. Anyways the pics says for themselves, they are a nice looking species but not better than G. metallicus ofc.
Picture credits: Matt Ford (1&2), Hippocampus-Bildarchiv (3)
One thing that’s been a reoccurring issue in the hobby is when people often times mislabels guppy strains as endler strains. Okay when obtaining guppy strains that are labeled as endlers good chance they are pure reticulata or have a reticulata origin due to hybridization, and you can’t tell without genetically testing or asking the creator of the strains for a pedigree \*which is impossible lol\*. The reason for this misidentification is usually due to the size and phenotypes of certain strains being “endler like”, commercial fisheries/breeders labeling them as endlers to sell for a higher profit, and/or people generally aren’t knowledgeable enough to know the difference between reticulata and wingei. I can’t speak for a lot of strains of guppies in the hobby and in the wild, but here’s a few examples that comes to mind that majority of the time gets commercially labeled as endlers.
\- Japan blue guppy: this is a hit or miss but Japan Blue originally came from feral fancy guppies living in the river systems in a certain area of Japan in the early 1990’s. Idk the original person who caught the founding specimens but as been told they are purely reticulata. Originally the Japan blue (JB) trait is a Y-linked trait that express on the back half of the guppies body with a blue iridescent sheen, same zone as halfblack/tuxedo (nigrocaudus) gene. As of late breeders manage to make that trait cross over to the X chromosome making it possible for females to pass the JB trait and males passing it on both sex chromosomes. Also breeders used male Japan blue guppies to hybridize with pure wingei females to make smaller more compact Japan blue endlerguppy strains, which they fall under K-Class category. Japan blue was never a wingei trait it was a reticulata trait bred into a hybrid that’s been breed to pure wingei over time.
\- Ginga rubra guppy: this here is a classic guppy strain created by master breeder Kenjiro Tanaka (also known for Tanaka’s candlelight guppy and plus more). The origin of this strain is pretty simple he wanted a more nice small robust short tailed guppy strain so he used feral guppies and crossed them to blonde type fancy guppies I assumed females, which over time he selected for the blotching markings with the blonde base of that strain. They have been commercially labeled as endlers to make a profit unfortunately people seem to forgot such a classic strain of guppy basically passing around a guppy as an endler. Ginga means galaxy due to how iridescent the strain is and rubra means red for the red blotches seen on the males.
\- Vienna Emerald guppy: this is alsoooo another classic strain of guppies someone are confused for endlers. They were created in European in early to mid 1900’s if I can recall. Breeders selected the strain for a primitive wildtype appearance which were based off Ojvind Winge paper on guppy genetics. This strain idk in-depth on gene traits off the top of my head so I had to look up the exact name for the gene which is called “smaragd iridenscens” which is supposedly a Y-linked trait paired with the swordtail types which is also Y-linked passed from father to son. From what I can find. They express those nice green zebrinus bars. I assume based off their phenotype they are mistaken for endlers or endlerguppy hybrids.
\- Any feral/wildtype guppy: guppies are basically everywhere in the world except Antarctica. Guppies were used as mosquito vector control not endlers. They’ve been around possibly before endlers were getting popular in the hobby depended on the region. When people go out to collect these feral guppies, people would think they are endlers mainly because they express primitive phenotypes. Individuals vary Poecilia reticulata is a highly polymorphic species even more diverse than endlers genetically, and phenotypically.
Picture credits: “Japan blue guppy” Karen Kooman (1), “K-class Japan blue endlerguppy hybrid” Owen Long (2), “Ginga rubra guppy” Michael Jensen’s Aquariums (3&4), “Vienna Emerald double sword guppy” Stan de Jong (5), “Vienna Emerald double sword guppy” Clause Osche (6), “Caracas, Venezuela - Native guppy” Adrian HD (7&8), “Italy - Feral” Matteo Pillitteri (9), “Jamaica - Feral guppy” Tobi (10&11)
One thing that’s been a reoccurring issue in the hobby is when people often times mislabels guppy strains as endler strains. Okay when obtaining guppy strains that are labeled as endlers good chance they are pure reticulata or have a reticulata origin due to hybridization, and you can’t tell without genetically testing or asking the creator of the strains for a pedigree *which is impossible lol*. The reason for this misidentification is usually due to the size and phenotypes of certain strains being “endler like”, commercial fisheries/breeders labeling them as endlers to sell for a higher profit, and/or people generally aren’t knowledgeable enough to know the difference between reticulata and wingei. I can’t speak for a lot of strains of guppies in the hobby and in the wild, but here’s a few examples that comes to mind that majority of the time gets commercially labeled as endlers.
- Japan blue guppy: this is a hit or miss but Japan Blue originally came from feral fancy guppies living in the river systems in a certain area of Japan in the early 1990’s. Idk the original person who caught the founding specimens but as been told they are purely reticulata. Originally the Japan blue (JB) trait is a Y-linked trait that express on the back half of the guppies body with a blue iridescent sheen, same zone as halfblack/tuxedo (nigrocaudus) gene. As of late breeders manage to make that trait cross over to the X chromosome making it possible for females to pass the JB trait and males passing it on both sex chromosomes. Also breeders used male Japan blue guppies to hybridize with pure wingei females to make smaller more compact Japan blue endlerguppy strains, which they fall under K-Class category. Japan blue was never a wingei trait it was a reticulata trait bred into a hybrid that’s been breed to pure wingei over time.
- Ginga rubra guppy: this here is a classic guppy strain created by master breeder Kenjiro Tanaka (also known for Tanaka’s candlelight guppy and plus more). The origin of this strain is pretty simple he wanted a more nice small robust short tailed guppy strain so he used feral guppies and crossed them to blonde type fancy guppies I assumed females, which over time he selected for the blotching markings with the blonde base of that strain. They have been commercially labeled as endlers to make a profit unfortunately people seem to forgot such a classic strain of guppy basically passing around a guppy as an endler. Ginga means galaxy due to how iridescent the strain is and rubra means red for the red blotches seen on the males.
- Vienna Emerald guppy: this is alsoooo another classic strain of guppies someone are confused for endlers. They were created in European in early to mid 1900’s if I can recall. Breeders selected the strain for a primitive wildtype appearance which were based off Ojvind Winge paper on guppy genetics. This strain idk in-depth on gene traits off the top of my head so I had to look up the exact name for the gene which is called “smaragd iridenscens” which is supposedly a Y-linked trait paired with the swordtail types which is also Y-linked passed from father to son. From what I can find. They express those nice green zebrinus bars. I assume based off their phenotype they are mistaken for endlers or endlerguppy hybrids.
- Any feral/wildtype guppy: guppies are basically everywhere in the world except Antarctica. Guppies were used as mosquito vector control not endlers. They’ve been around possibly before endlers were getting popular in the hobby depended on the region. When people go out to collect these feral guppies, people would think they are endlers mainly because they express primitive phenotypes. Individuals vary Poecilia reticulata is a highly polymorphic species even more diverse than endlers genetically, and phenotypically.
Picture credits: “Japan blue guppy” Karen Kooman (1), “K-class Japan blue endlerguppy hybrid” Owen Long (2), “Ginga rubra guppy” Michael Jensen’s Aquariums (3&4), “Vienna Emerald double sword guppy” Stan de Jong (5), “Vienna Emerald double sword guppy” Clause Osche (6), “Caracas, Venezuela - Native guppy” Adrian HD (7&8), “Italy - Feral” Matteo Pillitteri (9), “Jamaica - Feral guppy” Tobi (10&11)
Located to the Big Bend region of the Rio Grande of the United States and Mexico. Now can only be found in Big Bend National Park, Texas. They are an Endangered, protected species, reaching an average size of 2.1 inches. Also apart of the nobilis species group. The sexual dimorphism is interesting with females having a robust arched body and huge belly, while males being smaller and slender. They both sport a black lateral line, and are gray with a tiny of orange to them. What’s interesting the population that’s now protected started from a handful of specimens, but now there’s chances of it being threaten again due to hybridization with other Gambusia species like introduced affinis populations.
Picture credits: NPS/CA Hoyt (1), Wikipedia (2), Joel Sartore (3), Thomas, Bonner, and Whiteside (4)
Located in Jalisco, Mexico as well as tributaries of the Rio Purificacion near La Huerta, Mexico. Males gets to around an inch and females 1.2 inches in size. They are golden color, with short faces, ovalish bars going across the body, and a melanistic spot on the base of their anal fin/gonopodium. A pretty nice looking species.
Picture credits: Juan Miguel Artigas Azas (1), K. R. Knutsson (2)
Located in Laguna Catemaco, Mexico. Males gets to around an 1-1.2 and females around 1.8 inches in size. This species has a few phenotypes, they are slender bodied, with grey to even orange colored bodies, some specimen’s has melanistic markings all over, and different tail spot patterns. A beautiful platy species.
Picture credits: Aquarium Glaser (1-3), Wikipedia (4), Gagal (5), Bayviews (6)
Located in Mexico, where locals calls them “guayacon pinto”, and formally in Texas, but that population went extinct due to the construction of the Amistad Dam. This species is part of the Nobilis species group, so appearance wise they are plain looking, with short pug shape faces, and females having robust arched bodies compare to the males slender arched bodies. Size wise males gets to around an inch and females 1.3 inches in size.
Picture credits: Eric Moody
Located in your backyard *jokes*, but they are native to the Lesser Antilles (Barbados Trinidad & Tobago), and Northeast coast of South America (Venezuela, Guyana, Surinam, & northern Brazil). Feral Population in every continent except Antarctica. Males gets to around 0.7-1 inch and females 0.8-1.2 inches in size. They have a range of phenotypes, so I won’t be able to speak for all, some morphs, has patches of orange and black pigments, with interesting colored tails. They are close relatives to Poecilia wingei, and Poecilia obscura, all three make up the Subgenus of Acanthophacelus, in the Poecilia Genus. All three can readily hybridize with each other, and because of that, majority of the fancy/feral strains descent from them mostly reticulata and wingei. A lot to say about reticulata but won’t go in depth but gotta say guppies are amazing the pics provided says for itself.
Picture credits: “Trinidad” Amy Deacon (1), “Speyside, Tobago” Ronan Boutot (2), “Carcas, Venezuela” AdrianHD (3), “Rio Morichal, El Salto Largo, Venezuela” Latrell Shemar (4), “Paramaribo, Suriname - Kempkesi” Radek Sejkora (5), “Gillbach River, Germany - Feral” Aquarium Glaser (6), "Jemez Mountains, McCauley Springs, New Mexico, USA - Feral" Alan S. Bias (7), “Bogota, Columbia - 2023” AdrianHD (8), “Maculatus strain” Sebastian Wolf (9), "Cinnamomeus strain" Ronan Boutot (10), "Dzwillo Blue strain" Ronan Boutot (11), “Pauper strain” Michael Kempkes (12)
Located in lake Catemaco, Mexico sharing waters with X. milleri. One of the largest swordtail species with females that can reach up to 4.75 inches and males 3.5-4 inches in size (not including the sword extension). They are a beautiful brass/bronze body color, with gold and red lines going across the body, and males having a long yellow with black bordered swordtail. Due to their large size, males are very late developers, and can be mistaken as a female early on in their lifecycle.
Picture credits: Michi Tobler (1&2), Aquarium Glaser (3&4)
Located in southeastern Brazil, and Uruguay. This species was named after Andrew Carnegie, whose Carnegie museum funded, Carl Eigenmann’s expedition in 1907, during which this species was collected. They are small Livebearers with males reaching around 0.8 of an inch and females 1.4 inches in size. They have small slender bodies, pointed heads, grayish yellow base, with silver bellies, and vertical bars going across the body. Not much live media on them.
Picture credits: Manfred K. Meyer
Located in Reventazon River in Costa Rica. These specimens is a subspecies of Phallichthys amates species group. They’re the smaller subspecies, with males getting up to 1.5 inches, and females 2.1 inches in size. They are robust with short penduncles, they’re recognizable for their orange to red-orange dorsals, with faded black band on the dorsals as well.
Picture credits: Unknown (1&2), Arjan de Gaaf (3-7)
Located in Motagua River in Guatemala. One of two subspecies of Phallichthys amates species group. Males reaches around 1.75 inches and females 2.3 inches in size. They are robust, angular shaped, with very short penduncles. Also this subspecies is recognizable for their thick black band on their dorsal, black streak on their eyes, and thin vertical bars on the top half of their bodies.
Picture credits: Aquadiction (1&2), Aquarum Glaser (3&4)
Located in Trinidad to the Amazon River delta. They have two distinct morphs, gray and red morphs. Males reaches about an 1-1.2 inches, and females 1.1-1.2inches. They are a type of guppy species in the Micropoecilia subgenus of Poecilia, while being a sister subgenus to Acanthophacelus (Reticulata/Obscura/Wingei). Unlike their Acanthophacelus guppy relatives, Picta’s and other members in the genus Micropoecilia, have a rapidly degrading Y chromosome. To compensate for that the females, X chromosome has twice as many linked genes to it. Meaning the females will pass down her genes to her sons and daughters, while the fathers passed his linked traits to his daughters, and chromosome to his sons. They are slender, with a range of painted orange to gray body color with black markings. They have a short tail fin, and oval shaped dorsal fin. This species truly thrive in brackish conditions. But they can tolerate full fresh, and full salt. Domesticated specimens now can do well in full fresh, thanks to commercial breeding.
In my experience, they are tricky, I already lost my first ever colony due to wasting diesease, and dropsy. Even though I’m giving picta’s a second chance i still lost some founder fry after a couple of months to wasting but I think, I got the hang of it, on how much food to give them, and what they prefer to eat. They like green matter with some protein, so I recommended a source of algae for them to graze on, and biomatter/mulm. Some salt in the water goes a long way. From my first colony, the fry I got from them were tiny and skinny they can fit through floating specimen breeding containers, so I prefer a breeder net or a separate tank entirely to grow out fry. This species aren’t prolific breeders, but they make up by how beautiful they look. Keeping this species is not for beginners or intermediate keepers… I still have a hard time with them, it’s sort of a let down as of late I’m down to an adult female and a juvenile sibling that damaged its spine during while they were being shipped to me.I’ll def get more again given the chance. They are my favorite guppy species.
Picture credits: “Red” Peter Maguire (1&2), “Black” lebendgebaerende.info (3), “Trinidad”Aquarium Glaser (4&5), “Gold/Blonde” AdrianHD (6&7), “Red” Latrell Shemar (8-11), “Red” Thomas Gleim (12&13)
Located in the Paraguay River drainage, Paraguay. Males gets to around an inch and females as well gets to around 1-1.5 inches size. Not the best of media I could find of them but they are a simple species, olive grey in color, small dorsals, a nice blue iridescent sheen to them, and small pointed faces.
Picture credits: unknown
Located in Lake Miragoane, southwestern Haiti. Size wise males are 1.2 inches and females just abit bigger. They are olive gray in color with mild robust body, yellow tinge fins and sports vertical bars when active. Not much to say on this species but they are pretty cool looking.
Picture credits: Rodet Rodriguez-Silva (1), Michi Tobler (2)
Located in Veracruz, Mexico. Scientific name comes from a German aquarist of the name Arthur Rachow. Common name is from the city of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz where they can be found. This is a small and slender species, males reaching around 1.1 inches and females 1.5 inches in size. They have a gray body and beautiful clear iridescent scales, you’re able to see right through it. A simple looking Livebearer, yet attractive.
Picture credits: E. Pürzl (1&2), Juan Miguel Artigas Azas (3)
Only found in San Marcos Spring, Central Texas, US. They get 1.6 inches in size. They are expected to be extinct in the wild last known siting was from 1983. They have dark gray body with blue iridescences, yellow tint fins with black trimming in the dorsals. Not much media of this species but they are a pretty nice looking.
Picture credits: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department
Located in Jari river drainage, in northern Brazil. They are part of the Branneri complex being close relatives to P. branneri, P. bifurca, P. minima, and P. sarrafae. Males gets to around an inch, and females 1.5 inches in size. They are olive grey slender bodied specimens, with an orange dorsal, an eye spot marking on the front of the body, a spot on the base of the penduncle, with a red/black/blue top sword (shown on males).
Picture credits: Edward James
Located in San Juan River, Dominican Republic. Males get around an inch and females get around 1.5 inches in size. They are a smaller species of Limia with a slender body, and blunt mouth, black and yellow dorsals, Blue sheen, vertical bars, black under side resembles a young Limia melanogaster somewhat.
- Pic credits: Patricia Torres (1-3), Thomas Gleim (4&5)
Located in Panama. Males reaches 1.2 inches and females 3 inches in size. They are olive gray, faded black line going across the body, orange pigments on the dorsal, tail fin, deep orange gonopodium, and large black spot on the base of it. A simple yet nice looking species
- Pic credits: Samuel Valdes