Guppy
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 Male (left) and female (right) guppies
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| Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859
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The guppy (Poecilia reticulata), also commonly known as guppie, is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poecilidae family (females 4-6 centimetres long, males 2½–3½ centimetres long) and like all other members of the family, is live-bearing. It prefers a hard water aquarium and can withstand levels of salinity up to 150% sea water (58 ppt sodium chloride)[1], which has led to them being occasionally included in marine tropical community tanks, as well as in freshwater tropical tanks. Its most famous characteristic is its propensity for breeding, and it can breed in both fresh water and marine aquariums[2]
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[edit] Taxonomy
Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1836-1916) discovered this tiny fish in Trinidad in 1866, although the fish was known to German aquarists prior to that time. (According to the German Wikipedia, the guppy is native to South America, north of the Amazon River. Meanwhile, as the guppy has long been used for mosquito control, it has established itself in many other areas around the world, especially in The Phillippines.)
Over time, many species are assigned a different taxonomic name. The guppy is no exception:
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[edit] Ecology and behaviour
There is a great deal of variety between the populations, many with distinctive coloring or patterning. Those that live in habitats where predators are common tend to be less vividly decorated as a protective measure. Populations that deal with fewer predators are much more colorful. Recent studies suggest that vividly colored males are favored via sexual selection (Handicap principle) while natural selection via predation favors subdued tones. As a result, the dominant phenotypes observed within a reproductively isolated community are a function of the relative importance each factor has in a particular environment.
Occasionally male guppies may behave aggressively towards each other, engaging in fin-nipping and other bullying behaviour. This behaviour is also sometimes exhibited towards other top swimmers like platys and swordtails and occasionally other fish with prominent fins such as angelfish.
Guppies live in complex networks, choosing social partners and remembering them. [3].
Guppies are a seminal species for evolutionary biologists because predation often varies over small geographic areas. Both historical work and recent studies are summarised in Anne Magurran's Evolutionary Ecology: the Trinidadian Guppy.
[edit] Reproduction
Guppy breeding by aquarists produces variations in appearance ranging from color consistency to fantails and "spike" swordtails. Selective breeding has created an avid "fancy guppy" collector group, while the "wild" guppy maintains its popularity as one of the hardiest aquarium fish. The gestation period of a guppy is 22-26 days. When the female guppy becomes fertilized, a dark area near the anus, known as the gravid spot, will enlarge and darken. Guppies prefer water temperatures of about 22 °C (72 °F) for reproduction. After giving birth, the female is ready for conception within a few hours. If a male does not mate with the female soon after birth, the female can use stored sperm from the previous mating.
Experienced aquarists breeding their own guppies are aware that the adults will eat their young and therefore provide safe zones for the fry. Specially designed livebearer birthing tanks, which can be suspended inside the aquarium, are available from aquatic retailers. These serve the dual purpose of shielding the pregnant female from further attention from the males, and of providing a separate area for the newborn young as protection from being eaten by their mother.
Another option for aquarists is to simply provide lots of plants for the young to hide in. Immediately after giving birth, female guppies experience a rush of hormones which serve to decrease their appetites. This can last up to 48 hours, which provides the fry ample time to hide provided that no other adult fishes are around.
[edit] References
- Poecilia reticulata (TSN 165903). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. Accessed on June 8, 2004.
- "Poecilia reticulata". FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. April 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Chervinski, J. (1984) Salinity tolerance of the guppy, Poecilia reticulata Peters. Journal of Fish Biology 24: 449-452.
- ^ Shikano T, and Fujio Y. 1997. Successful propagation in seawater of the guppy Poecilia reticulata with reference to high salinity tolerance at birth. FISHERIES SCIENCE 63: 573-575
- ^ Croft, D. P., J. Krause and R. James (2004) Social networks in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Biology Letters 271: 516-519.
