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mosquitofish or just another guppy

Started by Guest_FirstChAoS_* , Sep 15 2009 09:17 PM

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9 replies to this topic

#1 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 09:17 PM

I was in the worcester/auburn area today and the petco rosie red minnow tank had some odd fish in it.

I got them just in case they are exotic but I am not sure if they are mosquitofish or feeder guppies. Most look almost like feeder guppies, a couple have dark spots on their side but some of my guppies do too. One of them looks bigger than my feeder guppies but some guppies (especially fancies) are bred larger than feeder so the unusual size is not along enough to say it is different. I do not have enough experience with mosquitofish and they (as well as some kinds of killies) Do look very guppy like.

I tried taking pictures but they all ended up blurry. Maybe it is still enough for you to see identifying traits, but I doubt it.

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#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 09:30 PM

My eyes hurt.

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#3 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 10:10 PM

I often see Gambusia mixed in with rosies, so I wouldn't be surprised. It is my impression that rosies, like their normally-colored counterparts, are usually raised in outdoor ponds in mid-latitude states. That makes Gambusia much more likely than guppies to be contaminants in shipments of rosies.

Of course, contamination could also occur at the store, in which case, who knows what they might put in there. I always check the feeder shrimp tanks at my LFS for contaminants; I usually see Florida native killifish or darters, but I've seen some whacky tetras, danios, and other oddballs in there as well, which I must assume were introduced after the shrimp arrived at the store.

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#4 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 11:01 PM

I often see Gambusia mixed in with rosies, so I wouldn't be surprised. It is my impression that rosies, like their normally-colored counterparts, are usually raised in outdoor ponds in mid-latitude states. That makes Gambusia much more likely than guppies to be contaminants in shipments of rosies.

Of course, contamination could also occur at the store, in which case, who knows what they might put in there. I always check the feeder shrimp tanks at my LFS for contaminants; I usually see Florida native killifish or darters, but I've seen some whacky tetras, danios, and other oddballs in there as well, which I must assume were introduced after the shrimp arrived at the store.

What is LFS? local fish store?

Also I hope they survive long enough for me to get better pics, they looked like guppies to my larger minnows too and my common shiner and my creek chub were chasing them last i looked.

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#5 Guest_Newt_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 11:27 PM

That's it exactly. If your minnows manage to eat the livebearers, fine and dandy, but otherwise I suggest you take them out. Mosquitofish have a mean streak a mile wide.

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#6 Guest_njJohn_*

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Posted 15 September 2009 - 11:30 PM

Look for the males(w/long anal fin). If they have pretty colors, their most likely gambusia.

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#7 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 16 September 2009 - 07:11 AM

Do you mean that male dambusia have pretty colors, or guppies, or both? The dambusia are pretty solid gray/silver.

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#8 Guest_njJohn_*

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Posted 16 September 2009 - 10:00 AM

The male gambusia have no colors. Sorry, I see I left out the word "not" in my last post.

Edited by njJohn, 16 September 2009 - 10:01 AM.

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#9 Guest_sumthinsfishy_*

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Posted 16 September 2009 - 05:01 PM

Gambusia also often have a verticle black bar that goes through their eye, and guppies usually don't.

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#10 Guest_FirstChAoS_*

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Posted 17 September 2009 - 03:29 AM

Gambusia also often have a verticle black bar that goes through their eye, and guppies usually don't.

I got a better look at one of my "mystery guppies" today. It didn't have a bar through the eye, but it DID have a larger anal fin than the other guppies, a slight blueish cast to the scale reflection, and a black spot on the body just before the anal fin.