Description

With their strikingly bright metallic colouration, Endler's Guppy – also known as Endler's Livebearer – make a beautiful addition to smaller planted aquaria. However, because of the close relationship to the common Guppy (Poecilia reticulata), they hybridize readily. 

Endler's Guppies are known only from a small area in Venezuela where the water is typically greenish and shallow at around 15cm depth. These streams are surrounded by trees, which put much of the habitat into dappled shade at various times throughout the day. The fish graze on the substrate, aquatic vegetation and algae, moving around in large groups. Usually there are more females than males. This should be replicated in the home aquarium, ideally with 2 or 3 females to every male. The tank should be densely planted and include floating species which will help diffuse bright lighting. The water should be of a hard, alkaline composition. Endler's Guppies can be kept alongside other peaceful species which enjoy the same conditions. They will breed quite readily (see below) in a heavily planted tank, so keep an eye on stocking density.

Wild Endler's Guppies are found in several different forms, although they've also been crossed extensively with domestic guppies to produce a wide range of colours. The variety found in the Campoma lagoon (and immediate surroundings) is the standard form and has a prominent comma-shaped black mark on the flanks. It's well worth keeping pure strains of known wild forms seperate from their guppy kin, as once they disappear from our tanks they're unlikely to return – their wild habitats are threatened by pollution and destruction. Domesticated forms and hybrids (occasionally seen as 'Mini guppies') are often more resilient than highly-bred fancy guppies thanks to greater genetic diversity.