Guppy

The guppy is one the most widely distributed tropical fish in the world. It is also one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fishes. Due to its various colours and varieties, it is sometimes also known as the million fish or the rainbow fish. It belongs to the family Poeciliidae. The scientific name of the guppy is Poecilia reticulata or Lebistes reticulatus. Guppies show vivid sexual dimorphism and are live-bearing. Male guppies are a bit smaller than female ones. They bear beautiful dorsal and caudal fins. Guppies mainly originate from northeast South America. But now they are found all over the world as they have been introduced to various environments. They have high adaptability and can thrive in different kinds of environments. Guppies are often used as model organisms for studying evolution and ecology. In this article, we’ll talk about the various types of guppies in detail. 

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Sexual Dimorphism in Guppies 

The guppy exhibits vivid sexual dimorphism that is one can clearly distinguish between a male and a female. In the case of wild guppies, females tend to have a grey-coloured body. However, stripes, splashes, or spots of a wide variety of colours are found on the body of the male guppies. Male guppies are comparatively smaller than female ones. Male guppies are about 1.5 cm - 3.5 cm ( 0.6-1.4 inch ) in length. Female guppies are 3 cm -6 cm ( 1.2-2.4 inch) in length. 

Selective breeding often leads to the production of various strains which lead to different colours and patterns. The male guppies have some better ornamented morphological features such as an ornamented dorsal and caudal fins. The Y-chromosome-linked genes are responsible for this type of ornamentation in males. These genes are heritable. The domestic strain guppies have a larger body size. Due to selective breeding, the domestic guppies show better morphological ornamentation.

Distribution and Habitat 

Guppies are native to the northeast South American countries such as Barbados, Antigua, and Barbuda, Venezuela, Suriname, Trinidad, and Tobago, and Suriname. However, due to their high adaptability and ability to thrive in various environmental and ecological conditions, guppies are now found all over the globe. The guppies feed on the mosquito larvae and help prevent malaria to a certain extent. Guppies are used as a means of mosquito control. On the other hand guppies have a negative effect as they have colonized the freshwater fringes which affect the population of the native fish. Guppies have also developed tolerance towards brackish water and saltwater. They are mainly found in the smaller streams and pools than in fast-flowing deep rivers.  

Reproduction of the Guppy 

Guppies exhibit polyandry. The females mate with multiple males. Multiple mating is beneficial for the males as it is directly related to their reproductive success. However, in the case of the females, multiple mating may lead to parasitic infections and reduce foraging efficiency. The risk of predation also increases. Females also have a few benefits such as polyandry leads to offspring with shorter gestation time. The offspring's also have better schooling and antipredator tactics. Female guppies always prefer a novel male. This explains the phenotypic polymorphism in the male guppies. 

Lifecycle of the Guppy 

Guppies are capable of independent existence after birth without any parental control. Per year two or three generations of guppies occur in the wild. Young guppies move together in groups. This serves as an antipredator tactic. Due to their high capability of reproduction the guppy is known as “ “Millions fish “. Female guppies start reproducing at 10-20 weeks of age. The average lifespan of a guppy is about two years. The females continue to reproduce till 20-34 months of age. Male guppies mature at about 7 weeks of age. Even in this case a lot of variants are observed based on the inherited genes and evolutionary characteristics. 

Types of Guppies 

There are over 300 species of guppies. The domestic ones are mostly hybrid and are known for their ornamental morphological features. The males have ornamented tails and fins which distinguishes them from the females. Selective breeding has resulted in the development of various patterns, stripes, and spotted morphological features in the guppies. Since most domestic guppies are hybrid they can be classified on the basis of their morphological features such as tail shape, body patterns, and lots more.

Some of the Most Popular Guppies are:- 

• Fancy Guppies - They are also known as Common or fancy tail guppies. As the name suggests they have an ornamented tail which enhances their beauty. They are one of the oldest types. Fancy guppies have been on the list of hobbyists for a long time. They are the largest available domestic species. Fancy guppies are a type of hardy community fish. They are favoured for their variety of coloured morphs and hybrid nature. The males are more colourful than the females. They can be easily distinguished based on their sizes. The scientific name of the fancy guppy is Poecilia reticulata.

• Blue Moscow Guppy - The blue Moscow guppy is one of the members of the famous Moscow line of guppies. They are very rare and expensive owing to their extensively beautiful morphological traits. The blue Moscow has a deep navy blue colour which makes it one of the very best of its kind. The size of the ornamented dorsal and caudal fins is directly proportional to the size of the guppy.  

• Cobra Guppy - This variant of  Poecilia reticulata is mainly known for the snakeskin type of pattern on the body and tail. They are usually 2.5 inches long. The cobra guppy has developed various colour variants due to captive and selective breeding. The green cobra guppy with a green tail along with a yellow and black pattern is one the most popular types. The Cobra guppies also have twelve variants based on their tail shape. The cobra guppy is also a community fish by nature. The males are more colourful than the females. They can be easily distinguished based on their sizes. The cobra guppy survives in a 7.0 - 8.0 pH and a temperature range of 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit.

• Full Black Guppy - Just as the name suggests this variety of guppy has a charcoal black-coloured body. Ideally, it should not show any colour variant. The black colour is best observed in the small ones as in the case of the bigger ones the colour turns a bit greyish. They are sometimes known as Moscow Black Velvet Guppies. They are about 2.5 inches in length and have almost twelve variants based on their tail shape. With age and size, the black colour turns into a dark shade of grey. They can be efficiently bred in captivity. They also require a pH of 7.0- 8.0 and a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit to 82 degrees Fahrenheit to survive in captivity.  

• Full Red Guppy - This variety of guppies are one of the most popular for its colour. The full red guppy can be of grey, gold, or and albino morphs. This variety of guppy shows a vivid array of colours ranging from orange to maroon. This is mainly due to the underlying blue, purple or black colours.   

Conclusion  

The beautiful array of colours along with the variety of patterns makes the guppy a perfect fit for one’s aquarium. It's because of these colours and patterns guppies are known as the “Rainbow fish.” The guppies are one of the most dominant freshwater fishes. They showcase high adaptability and great anti-predator tactics by extensive schooling. Not only does the guppy help in reducing the threat of malaria but is also considered to be a model organism in the field of environmental studies. This is all about the guppy.