Beautiful guppy fish - Creature Companions
Guppies (Poecilia reticulata or Labistes reticulatus), colorful and vibrant freshwater fish of the Poecillidae family, popular as pets in home aquariums. The guppy fish is strong, energetic, easy to keep and productive. Male guppies, much lighter in color, grow to be about 4 inches long; Females are larger and duller in color. Guppies were bred in many ornate varieties, which differ in color or pattern as well as the size and shape of the caudal and dorsal fins. Also see Live Carriers.
Guppy Appearance
Beautiful Guppy fish can be yellow, red, blue, green, black, white, or orange depending on the species. For example, a blue cobra guppy has a dark blue body with a vertical black stripe pattern that resembles the back of a cobra snake. It has a bright blue triangular tail feather with mixed yellow and black patterns. Alternatively, a red guppy has scales that are a mix of bright red and gold. Its fan-shaped tail fin is bright red with a light golden tip. From leopards to cobra guppies to Dumbo's dragon ear guppies, this group has unique color and scale patterns.
The tail fins of these fish also have different sizes. Some examples are fan tail, flag tail, lyre tail, sword tail, round tail, and veil tail. The longest this fish can reach is 2.4 inches.
The bright color of these fish makes them an obvious target for many hunters. However, they have a unique defensive function. When a predator approaches, the fish's iris changes from silver to black. This allows the fish to get out of danger's way while the predator concentrates on what it thinks is the fish's head.
Additionally, wild guppies sometimes swim in large schools with hundreds of fish. That being said, if a predator does attack, there is a high chance that most of the fish in the school will survive.
What eats guppies?
Larger fish, such as blue Acra and pike cichlids, are prey for these fish. Seabirds such as kingfishers are predators of this small tropical fish.
What do guppies eat?
These fish are omnivores. They feed on algae, plant particles and mosquito larvae.
They live in large schools and attend pastures. This means that they look for food in these large groups. So, if a supply of algae is found, more of them may share the food.
The official conservation status of these fish is of Least Concern.
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