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Gambusia or Poecilia?

Started by Guest_EricaWieser_* , May 10 2011 12:19 PM

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12 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 10 May 2011 - 12:19 PM

Hi everyone,

I bought some feeder 'guppies' a little while ago and some of the babies that were scooped into the net have started differentiating into males. Their anal fins are beginning to turn into gonopodium. My question is, do Poecilia reticulata (guppies) get their gonopodium first, or their colors first? This if my first time keeping guppies, and I'm wondering if these males might be Gambusia.

Here is a photo of a male, and of the female that these males seem to prefer (is she also gambusia?):

fish id resize.jpg 77.37KB 0 downloads

female id photo resize.jpg 85.66KB 0 downloads
http://gallery.nanfa...l size.jpg.html
http://gallery.nanfa...l size.jpg.html

I can post more pictures if you all want.

Edited by EricaWieser, 10 May 2011 - 12:31 PM.

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#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 10 May 2011 - 12:53 PM

Those fish are Gambusia, with the pigment edged scales and zippo color on the male's body.

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#3 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 10 May 2011 - 01:57 PM

Drat. Thank you. Does anyone want some gambusia?

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#4 Guest_Irate Mormon_*

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Posted 10 May 2011 - 10:35 PM

You PAID for them?

Sorry about your luck!

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#5 Guest_gerald_*

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Posted 11 May 2011 - 09:34 AM

I hesitate to disgree with Dr. Bruce, but I dont see any dark mark below the eye or rows of dots in the tail that are typical for Gambusia. They might still be guppies -- time will tell. Color on a male guppy would be rather useless before his gonopodium is operable. Were there other obvious guppies in the tank they came from?

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#6 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 11 May 2011 - 12:45 PM

Were there other obvious guppies in the tank they came from?

Oh yes, I have about a dozen confirmed guppies.
Images:
http://gallery.nanfa...lberti.jpg.html
http://gallery.nanfa...assoma.jpg.html
http://gallery.nanfa... guppy.jpg.html

But the tank I got the guppies from was right next to a tank full of Gambusia affinis.

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#7 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 11 May 2011 - 04:13 PM

Time will tell, I'm certainly not firmly wedded to the dambusia ID, but I think so...

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#8 Guest_butch_*

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Posted 12 May 2011 - 10:34 AM

Nope it's not gambusia. It is just young guppies that hasn't developed the colors yet. Give some time and the colors will appear.

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#9 Guest_jetajockey_*

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 07:32 PM

My guppies get their gonopodiums first usually, but I've noticed it's not always the case.

Those guppies look like they are at least part wild type like endlers or some other wild species.

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#10 Guest_gzeiger_*

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Posted 13 May 2011 - 08:14 PM

They don't look like Gambusia to me. Shapes are just a little off in the mouth, and around/under the pectoral fins. I actually haven't looked at many guppies very closely though, so I also will reserve judgment.

If Gambusia, I recommend a pickerel.

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#11 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 14 May 2011 - 02:22 AM

Those guppies look like they are at least part wild type like endlers or some other wild species.

Yup, they're pure wild type if they are indeed guppies. I think I have to wait a little bit longer to see if all of them get color. Some of the young males have and some haven't yet.

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#12 Guest_EricaWieser_*

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Posted 19 May 2011 - 10:06 PM

Every single male except for one (he's the smallest) has gotten color now. They are indeed guppies. It's neat to learn new things; now I know that, as jetajockey said, gonopodiums usually begin to develop before male guppies get their first colors.

Edited by EricaWieser, 19 May 2011 - 10:25 PM.