Details
Poecilia reticulata
The guppy is a small livebearing fish of northern South America and nearby islands. It swims in loose groups in shallow freshwater, with males often brightly patterned.
Map: Ecoregions 2017 © RESOLVE (CC BY 4.0) · Natural Earth (PD)
It inhabits creeks, ponds, ditches, and grassy freshwater in the Neotropics. Slow shallows and plant cover are commonly used.
Length 3-6 cm; weight 1 g-3 g. Small and light-bodied, males often carry vivid spots and colors on the body and tail. Females are usually larger and plainer.
Diurnal and loosely schooling, it often moves near the surface. Males display their colors close to females during courtship.
An omnivore, it eats small insects, algae, and detritus. It picks food from the surface and fine particles drifting past.
It is livebearing, giving birth to developed fry rather than laying exposed eggs. Parental care is limited, and young hide among plants and shallows.
It is listed as Least Concern, though local populations can still be affected by habitat change, collection, or pollution.
