Let's talk about se...fish baby!

[JustJamieII:-)]

..Yeah yeah I know, who wants to read about fish. Well bad luck, just keep reading and let me know what you think.

I've kept Endler guppies ever since I started in Freshwater, so about 3 years (give or take). I got them from a breeder who swore they were pure. At the time, I had no idea, I just liked the look of them.... Anyway, long story slightly shorter.. I was doing a water change the other day and had a squizz at them close up. I noticed one of the females has developed some 'male' colouration. For those who don't know, females are just a plain base colour. I looked a little harder and noticed that some males have fork tails as well.

I asked my mate google, and he reckons that it's from mixed guppy lines...... Well who's to argue with him.

My confusion lies with the fact that in all the years I've had them (countless generations). Not once have I seen this before, nor have I had any other type of guppy to interbreed. Is it possible, that they were not pure to start with, and only just now are starting to show signs of hybridism?

[lachie1998]

maybe mutation from in breeding? or some kind of dormate gene that has only just poped up now??? I read that like 99% of endelers in aus are hybrids.

[Matt_95]

If you got then several years ago they're hybrids, some pure ones entered the hobby last year but they haven't hit the market big time, pretty much if anyone claims to have pure endlers they're lying or don't know any better, if they're pure they should have papers to prove it.

[Gbang]

possibly mutation like lachie said but i don't believe endlers stay pure for long. people always make mistakes, especially people who have lots of tanks and other guppies. all you need is one different male that could jump from another tank, which i've seen amny times before. the problem is endlers are small and plentiful and sometimes you just don't catch that odd male that is out of place.

[Dean]

you wouldn't have that problem with a shrimp mate

fish!!! lol

[Triggs]

Do you ever have any offspring that are larger than the others?

Endlers are far smaller than Guppies, so if you're getting a few larger ones come through it's a pretty good sign they're a hybrid. This is more obvious in the females (Since they grow bigger)

[Gbang]

absolutely agree with triggs

[JustJamieII:-)]

Do you ever have any offspring that are larger than the others? QUOTE]

Yes there are plenty of larger ones.... But it's because they're older :barbershop_quartet_. They all could be mongrels??? It's just these 'were' different.

It's only the few I mentioned that are 'out of the ordinary'. The ONE female showing male light colours and a couple of older males have elongated 'tail tips'. I'll try for some pic's' date=' but '[b']watfish' has got my camera......... Or I can't take decent photo's...One of the two.

@Deano. Yeah I know - Fish! But I like to keep things that don't die if I fart within 10metres. Plus they were 'my first'and it's hard to let go:sorrow:.