Color-changing Guppies

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birdboy5

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Apr 25, 2010
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West Jordan, Utah
Around two years ago one of my guppies gave birth to a male that could change color. I've looked all over the internet and could not find another account of a guppy that could change color. Its tail was usually yellow, but it would often change to blue, pink, black, orange and pink at the same time, even white. It is a trait I've only seen in feeder guppies (I just saw a few in the alligator snapping turtle tank in the San Diego Zoo when I went there on a trip). One way you can tell that they could change color is that their tails are completely one color (usually yellow or light blue).
If everyone could start looking for them we could start a new guppy strain, and save these extraordinary guppies from being fed to other fish. Also, if you find some, try breeding them with fancy guppies. I tried, but all my guppies died before any babies were born.
 

birdboy5

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Apr 25, 2010
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West Jordan, Utah
Um, I don't really remember. I think there were other guppies (females, but it would still change when away from them, plus male guppies flush blood to their tails when trying to attract mates). A ruby (rainbow) shark, a rainbow fish, and a blind cave tetra. those are the only ones I remember.
 

JasonO

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Mar 28, 2010
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Cincinnati, Ohio
guppy color cells are not just a single layer of cells, so as water chemistry changes, and the fish age, and things happen on a cellular level the color of a guppy can change. This can also happen in fancy guppy's.

Also with fish stress and other conditions, the color will change somewhat. This is readily apparent if you purchase fish that have been in been a cold bag for a while ( like at a fish auction) when the fish acclimate back into warmer water they will change color because the blood goes back to the surface and they will "color-up".

Also fish change colors when they are breeding, displaying "breeding colors"

Or it could be just an effect of diet, I have had guppies go from having red/pinkish light colored tales to having fairly dark blue tales when I changed there fish food and started feeding them more live food.

Anyway, I am a bit skeptical of the guppy's just randomly changing colors, I would need to see some more data on it, though it could be some mutation.

If you are interested in guppy genetics/colors, I would check out guppy designer's website. He does a lot of work on the genetics of guppy's and how they effect the coloration, and the phenotypes of different guppy strains, along with slides of guppy pigment cells under microscope. He also made a strain of "see-through" guppies through combination of different recessive strains.

I would contact him if you are interested in further pursuing a strain of guppy's that can change color.
 
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birdboy5

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Apr 25, 2010
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West Jordan, Utah
Ok, I know that all fish do that, but this guppy was different. He would change color multiple times a day. Breeding guppies only display a red/green color when they flush blood to their tails. I've even seen it happen. He would be yellow, then sky blue would start coming in, replacing the yellow slowly, the rest of the colors would follow, or he would change back. I appreciate the interest in this guppy. I know it is hard to believe and understand, you have to see one of them yourself, it's amazing.
I'm sure there are more somewhere, its just nobody has noticed them because they are endler's, which are usually fed to other fish and are not usually so well colored. I did try to find out what caused the change, and I did think it was temperature, but it wasn't.
 

JasonO

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Mar 28, 2010
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uhh, endlers are not "feeder guppys" endlers are Poecilia wingei, guppy's are Poecilia reticulata a completlely different species. I have never known anyone to use endlers as common "feeder guppys" because endlers are generally imported and thus it would be cost prohibitive, guppys and endlers can hybridize, but endlers livebearer is not just a name for a random "wild type" guppy....

Do you mean "wild type" guppys, or Endler's livebearer?
 

birdboy5

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Apr 25, 2010
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West Jordan, Utah
wild, it is a common mistake to get the two mixed up, and only recently were endlers actually put into a different family, or so I was told. A picture in a book I have (the complete encyclopedia of aquarium and pond fish) looked like the guppies I had so I just assumed that's what they were.
 

JasonO

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Mar 28, 2010
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Cincinnati, Ohio
Yeah, its a common mistake. Sorry for getting all preachy, I forget that written words do not have the benefit of voice tone sometimes, I'm a nice guy I promise, and I don't mean anything harshly.

You should look into breeding some of these guppys, and promoting them with videos, It sounds interesting and I would keep a tank or two of them. However, though I believe yopu are telling the truth, I am not yet convinved to go out and buy feeder guppys because I believe this trait is probably pretty rare (maybe it is a mutation more common in the source of your feeder guppy source than the shops near me) though I do agree it is a shame that most feeder guppys are never seen in true adult colors some of the most beautiful guppys I have had have been "wild type" guppys
 

finsNfur

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May 29, 2008
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Connecticut
I had a male guppy that some days was yellow with dark spots, some days aqua blue with dark spots. I did nothing in the tank to change his colors, there was no telling what color he would be from day to day. I don't have him anymore though, I gave him to someone I sold some shrimps to. Maybe I should have kept him. :huh:
 

NYCguppydude

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Dec 14, 2008
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wildguppystore.com
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Andy G.
I had 1 male Guppy that would change colors constantly and consistently. He was a product of 4 different strains mixed. So the genetics are a big jumbled mess, and isolating that trait would have been impossible. At least for me.
 
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