Data Sheet: Poecilia Reticulata “Guppy”

DATA SHEET

Scientific Name: Poecilia Reticulata

Common Name: Guppy

Taxonomic Classification:

Phylum: Chordata

Class: Actinopterygii

Subclass: Neopterygii

Order: Cyprinodontiformes

Suborder: Cyprinodontoidei

Family: Poeciliidae

Genus: Poecilia

Species: Reticulata

Description: The male is smaller, has a squat body with a small head, curved back, rounded belly and a pointed caudal peduncle, ending with a rounded tail. The dorsal fin is high, the ventrils are, the anal is transformed into a copulatory organ (gonopodia). The female has a wider and longer body, with a more linear back and a large rounded belly, with rounded fins.

Coloration: The feminine livery has a gray-brown color, tending to the transparent yellow, while the male one has its tail with very bright and varied colors.

**Large strains:**
A – Veil tail
B – Triangle tail
C – Fan tail
D – Flag tail
**Sword strains:**
E – Double sword
F – Upper sword
G – Lower sword
H – Lyre tail
**Short strains:**
I – Spade tail
J – Spear tail
K – Round tail
L – Pin tail

Behaviour: Very peaceful fish, very quietly with other non-aggressive fish. Barbus Tetrazona and Pterophyllum Scalare are to be avoided.

Sexual Dimorphism: The male is smaller and has a more accentuated coloration while the females are larger and with a large belly used for the gestation of their babies.

Habitat: Bentopelagic, freshwater and brackish water is not a migratory species and lives in tropical climates. He lives in running or steady waters. Temperature: 20-24 °C. pH: 7-8. Water Hardness: It suits well hard and very hard water.

Tips for Breeding: Guppy lives up to 5 years as evidenced by the life expectancy at AnAge‘s site. For aquarium breeding we recommend a medium-sized, well-planted tank with many hiding places. The appropriate number of individuals is a minimum of 5 specimens (3 females and 1 male), the number of females should always be higher than that of males because they are stressed with ease.

Feed: In nature it is fed with zooplankton, small insects and debris. In aquariums welcomes dry, freeze-dried, live and frozen foods.
Diffusion: Originally from South America, it is located in the areas of Venezuela, Guyana, northern Brazil and islands such as Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago
Swimming Level: Swim in flocks and prefer to swim in the middle area of the aquarium’s water column.
Difficulty: Very easy for neophytes.

Reproduction: Guppy reproduction is very easy and fast because they mate continuosly. After about forty days of gestation, the female ejectes the small, already self-defeating fry. Usually to save a larger number of fry, around the 38th – 39th day, the female is placed into a split partition room, thus separating the little ones from the mother by avoiding being eaten. For growing the small fishes, it is recommended to use a small container or transfer to a larger nursery. Fry up to 2 cm can be fed with dry feed in the powder by increasing, step by step, the granulometry or nauplii (larva) of Artemia salina. After 2 cm can be released into the aquarium.
Extinguishing Risk: Not at risk of extinction