Taxonomy of Finfish (1+2)

4.2.25 Pocilia reticulata

Family: Poeciliidae

Genus: Poecillia

English name: Guppy and Millions Fish

Origin: South America, north of the Amazon, now also found elsewhere, having been introduced by man to control mosquitoes

Size: Males to 3.5 cm: females to 6 cm

Habitat: Found in both fresh and brackish waters, slow running streams and pools.

Shape, coloring markings:

P.retucykata  has been for so long one of the favorite aquarium fish and has received so much attention from breeders that it now appears in a bewildering variety of shapes and color patterns. The original basic body color is a brownish olive but with a wide variation in the color of the iridescent lateral scales. The crossbreeding of various strains has now produced guppies of almost every conceivable color pattern.