Guppies are the most popular and unpretentious pets, even a novice can cope with the care of. One of the most common questions that all beginner aquarists encounter is related to determining the sex of fish. How to determine the gender of a guppy, what are the features and differences between males and females - we will tell right now.
Behavior features
Guppies are a viviparous fish whose pregnancy can last from 3 to 6 weeks. Immediately after the emergence of fry, it is impossible to precisely establish their gender affiliation. However, guppies grow quite quickly, so after 3-4 weeks you can easily distinguish boys from girls.
Guppies are peace creatures with a calm and friendly disposition, who easily get along with other fish. Guppy females are usually more phlegmatic. They are less active and more measured in comparison with males.
Guppy males, by contrast, are characterized by agility and activity. During the courtship of the female, some males even become aggressive and conflicting.
At this time, individual males are able to easily engage in fights with competitors in the struggle for the object of their desire.
However, for the most part, both males and females of guppies are very non-conflict creatures. Aggressive behavior is not characteristic of them and is considered, rather, an exception to the rule, rather than the norm.
What is the difference in body shape and color?
When the fry are about a month old, an attentive aquarist can easily distinguish males from females. Guppy girls at this age begin to manifest a “birth spot” - a specific dark area in the anal fin. However, in carriers of a light background color, this zone may be poorly distinguishable.
Adult males and females externally quite differ from each other in size and body shape, as well as color characteristics. The body sizes of males can vary from 1.5 to 4 centimeters. Visually, guppy boys look more elegant and slimmer than girls. The body shape of males is elongated, slightly elongated from head to tail.
The body sizes of the guppy girls are slightly larger. The average body length of a female is 3-5 centimeters. Large individuals are also found, whose body sizes reach 7 centimeters.
Females look more massive, barrel-shaped. Practice shows that with age, guppy girls become larger in size.
You can distinguish the sex of fish by color. In males it is always brighter and more interesting than in females. Traditionally, females have a dull gray-brown color. Their caudal fin is usually colored in a greenish, yellowish or bluish tint. Noteworthy is the “transparency” of females, due to which it is possible to notice the pregnancy of an individual in time.
Males have a very expressive and catchy colors.
Depending on the species and breed, the color of the guppy boy can be monophonic or multi-colored, colorful, with or without pearles overflowing. Wherein bright color has not only the body of the fish, but also its fins.
How to determine the floor by the structure of the fins?
Another difference between males and females of guppies is the structure and shape of their fins. The most noticeable is the difference in the structure and shape of the caudal fin. Traditionally, in females, it has a simple and rounded shape. With respect to the body, the fins in females are always proportionally smaller than in males.
Guppy fins are elongated, elongated. The shape of the caudal fin depends on the breed of the fish.
In accordance with this characteristic, it is customary to distinguish between fan-tailed, lyre-tailed, veiled-tailed, round-tailed, needle-tailed, spear-tailed, and flag-tailed fish. The anal fin (gonopodia) in males has a phallic shape.
Recommendations of specialists
Inexperienced people who plan to engage in aquariums are encouraged to start by keeping guppy groups of the same species. For starters, 10 individuals will be enough - 5 males and 5 females. The volume of the aquarium should be at least 50 liters.
It is best to isolate pregnant females temporarily from other fish. After the fry are born, the female should be placed back to the relatives.
It is desirable to keep the fry separately as adult guppies often eat their offspring. If fry were born in an aquarium with adult fish, care must be taken of their shelter. As it can be used floating algae, which will form dense and lush thickets at the water surface.
About the contents and reproduction of guppies see below.
