Tank Talk Magazine December 2009

12 Species profile Quick notes Endler’s Livebearer Poecilia wingei [Poeser, Kempkes, & Isbrücker, 2005] CDAS conservation species Size male/female : male up to 2.5cm Female up to 4cm TopAz © 2009 Gender specifics: Males are brightly coloured with neon colour patches and black markings. Females are larger and are olive brown Water temperature: 18-29°C Water Parameters: pH 6.8-7.5 GH 20-80 TopAz © 2009 Behaviour: Peaceful, highly active Water region: Middle to top Difficulty: Easy Possible tank mates: bristlenose and pleco species, corydoras species, dwarf shrimp species. TopAz © 2009 Notes: Endlers can be crossed with guppies and the hybrid offspring are fertile. This is considered to dilute the gene pool and therefore is avoided by fish breeders who wish to maintain pure strains. Quick notes by Christine Morton History Endler's livebearers are small guppy-like fish. They were first collected in 1937, and then re-discovered in 1975 by Professor John Endler. He took the fish to The New York Aquarium, from where they were taken to Germany. German aquarists bred them, sometimes mixing them with guppies of various breeds, and in the 1980's they found their way back to America, and to Japan and elsewhere. Dr. Endler says that the "Endler's livebearer" is its own species, since although it will interbreed with the guppy (many livebearers will interbreed), it will only produce F1 hybrids. It should be kept apart from guppies unless hybrids are desired.

Tank Talk Magazine December 2009 | Page 12