The Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, also known as millions fish, is without doubt the prettiest of all freshwater fishes. Wild guppies were discovered by Robert John Lechmere Guppy in Trinidad in 1866. Today, human-bred guppies, i.e. fancy guppies are very popular in freshwater aquariums. Within this species there are many color strains and no two fishes are exactly the same. They are easy to keep and can live in community aquariums. Hence guppies are ideal for beginners, especially children.

Lifetime

Generally 1 to 2 years.Guppies have a short life and hence a high spawning rate. This is why they are commonly known as millions fish.

Size

Females are 40-60mm long and males are 25-35mm long.

Sexing

Females are larger, have a grey-colored body and a gravid spot, which is a dark area under the anus. A better alternative in sex determination is the anal fin. The latter is the farthest back fin under the belly of the fish. A female will have a big and round anal fin, which hangs down most of the time.

Wild Guppy

Wild guppies are a primitive form of fancy guppies and as you may observe, they are less colorful. In the wild, guppies feed mainly on mosquitoes. In many of the warmer climate countries, wild guppies are released into ditches as a form of mosquito control. This practice has actually helped in keeping the mosquito population down in some places.

Breeding

This is discussed in more detail inside this article: Breeding Guppies. You will learn the secret behind successful guppy breeding.

Fry Care

With all young fry, the first few days of life are the most critical. This in-depth article: Guppy Fry Care explains it all.

Photos by threefingers and Verzo.