Weird Guppy

[BrookeLea]

Hey guys,

I've got this habit of checking out the tanks at WalMart and searching for any fish that I can rescue while I'm there. I found this guppy...none of the other ones in the tank looked anything like him and I've never seen another one like him anywhere. Something's weird with his tail...I had to take him home with me. It looks like he's got a split tail with a regular tail in the middle. I tried to take his picture, but he wouldn't stay still. I got one that's pretty good, but you can't see his "normal" tail in the middle because it's clear. Is this weird, or is he just some other kind of guppy that I don't know about?

Also, he's been chasing my female guppies around the tank. What are the chances of their fry having tails like him?

Here's the pic.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

Looks like he's an endler and this shape of tail is not uncommon, he looks like a lyretail endler to me, and yes he can bred with standard guppys

 

[Annastasia]

It looks like it is just his coloring, actually. Very pretty! It is slightly funny though...since his tail isn't very big. Maybe a Guppy/Endler hybrid?

I'm not sure what the chances of his offspring having that tail. I'm betting at least a few would have some variation on that. Or maybe something very similar.

Maybe some other people will have other ideas.

Edit: Okay, Toxis beat me to it.

 

[BrookeLea]

Thanks guys! Another question... What's an endler? haha And how do you think he managed to get in with the standard guppies?

 

[Annastasia]

Here's a few links for you:

http/www.geocities.com/shtinkythefish/endler.htm

http/www.petfish.net/endlers.htm

 

[BrookeLea]

"The Endler's Livebearer is very close to the guppy, poecilia reticulata, and can produce offspring with the common guppy. However, these offspring are not fertile, and therefore, by definition, the Endler's is NOT of the same species as the guppy, as many believe."

Does this mean that the fry will die?

 

[Annastasia]

No, the fry should live. I've seen Endler Guppy hybrids before. It's not usually reccomended to breed them though, because some people want to keep the Endler strain pure....

 

[mlee0332]

no it means they are unable to reproduce...

 

[NinjaSmurf]

Looking at that pic makes me think I really do have an endler cross...


He's a looker

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

I think that in some cases, sterile endler hybrid males are good with groups of female guppys because it means you can still have some color in your tank and not tons of unwanted fry, although i also agree in keeping the endler strain for the most part pure.

 

[MissD]

He's lovely...they have them like that in my local Walmart all the time. Originally I thought they were broken, but found out about it when I researched.

Very pretty boy!

 

[daudy_dojo]

OMG thats a split tailed guppy i have only seen a select few of those! they are beautiful and will spawn with endlers if not watched carefully!!!

 

[daudy_dojo]

that isnt a endler hybrid though!!! the slipt tailed guppy is a species just being introduced and is becoming very popular! but these gupppies find endlers attractive and WILL mate and WILL produce fertil offspring... i have had it happen! but the babies dont live as long as usual guppies do!! so i guess they are semi-fertile!

 

[afireinside]

if u ask me, it is probably a birth deformaty. either that, or other fish attacked similar how bettas do. (without killing it) but i certainly would want to breed that fish to see what happens. and by judging by ur first post, the guppy is a male, right? well, if it is a male, it is about a 50% chance that will happen, but only to the males, not the females, cause in guppies cases, normal, the female guppy doesn't have a sweet looking tail.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

OMG thats a split tailed guppy i have only seen a select few of those! they are beautiful and will spawn with endlers if not watched carefully!!!

There is no such thing as a split tail guppy, but i think what you are referring too in tail shape is a lyretail and they have been around for many years now- the livebearer is still an endler/endler hybrid and unusual tail shapes are very common in endlers, here's some pic of endlers in links on AquaBid if you don't believe me;

http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...ersw&1118001055

http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...rers&1117765503

http/www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/auc...rers&1117847707

etc, etc. See?