Wild Guppy?

[Tempestuousfury]

I got a guppy fry from an lfs when the guy was catching my rams. Now it is 1/2 the max size and does not have any color. Therefore, seeing as how it is so big (methinks it is well over 3 months old, though even if I am wrong, the size alone should mean the colors should have started coming in), I am pretty sure that the lack of color would mean it is wild.

Therefore, can this fish serve any sort of purpose in my tank? I might breed guppies, so I take it introducing a wild strain would help bolster immune systems due to inbreeding, though the trade-off being less colorful fry. This right?

 

[CoolWater]

Yeap, if you breed it with say, your typical guppy, the offspring will be more hardy, more accepting of colder water etc
But yes, lighter shades of colours.

 

[diburning]

if its a guppy without color, then you got yourself a mosquitofish. (thre are many species so i dunno which one even with pics)

guppies have vibrant colors even in the wild.. only their tails aren't as large as the aquarium bred ones.

 

[Annastasia]

As meepster said, it might be a mosquito fish. Is this fish a female? Because some females still have dull colors out there. It's uncommon, but you do get the occasional less inbred girl. Or possibly an Endler female?

 

[Bloo]

My female enders are just a very dull non-descript "colour" - no colouration at all and aren't much over 1" so anything like this ?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Nope looks nothing like the endler. I'm pretty sure that this lfs did not sell mosquitofish or endlers...

It's pretty much uniform in color... something between brown and white. All-black eyes, though that's not uncommon in guppies.

I guess, looking at google images, it might be a mosquitofish. *shrugs* Unfortunately, the location closed down, so there's no real way for me to check.

Hybrids possible between mosquitofish and guppies? Any way to tell for sure which species it is?

 

[Annastasia]

Hybrids possible between mosquitofish and guppies? Any way to tell for sure which species it is?

They can't, two different families. Do you happen to have a picture of this fish?

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Nope. Unfortunately, I don't have a camera, though I do have enough in my bank account (if someone has not picked up my debit card, which seems to have been misplaced) to buy one. Let's see if I can't get one and post a pic.

 

[diburning]

Hybrids possible between mosquitofish and guppies? Any way to tell for sure which species it is?

They can't, two different families. Do you happen to have a picture of this fish?

no, you are wrong. there can be hybrids. there are different species of mosquitofish out there, with at least 2 being in the poecila family.

 

[Annastasia]

Haha, sorry, 'twas late. I ment Genus. I know they are in the Poeciliidae family, isn't most everything? However, they still couldn't breed with Guppies. True Mosquito fish are Gambusia Affinis and Heterandria formosa. Is there another species that is in the Poecilia genus? Because I've never heard of inter-genus hyrbrids in Livebearers...

Also note that once upon a time, Guppies were introduced in other areas for Mosquito control, so they can sometimes be referred to as "Mosquito fish" too. They aren't the true Mosquito fish though.