u/Shemar_Livebearers

Located in southeastern Brazil, and Uruguay. This species was named after Andrew Carnegie, whose Carnegie museum funded, Carl Eigenmann’s expedition in 1907, during which this species was collected. They are small Livebearers with males reaching around 0.8 of an inch and females 1.4 inches in size. They have small slender bodies, pointed heads, grayish yellow base, with silver bellies, and vertical bars going across the body. Not much live media on them.

Picture credits: Manfred K. Meyer

Located in Reventazon River in Costa Rica. These specimens is a subspecies of Phallichthys amates species group. They’re the smaller subspecies, with males getting up to 1.5 inches, and females 2.1 inches in size. They are robust with short penduncles, they’re recognizable for their orange to red-orange dorsals, with faded black band on the dorsals as well.

Picture credits: Unknown (1&2), Arjan de Gaaf (3-7)

Located in Motagua River in Guatemala. One of two subspecies of Phallichthys amates species group. Males reaches around 1.75 inches and females 2.3 inches in size. They are robust, angular shaped, with very short penduncles. Also this subspecies is recognizable for their thick black band on their dorsal, black streak on their eyes, and thin vertical bars on the top half of their bodies.

Picture credits: Aquadiction (1&2), Aquarum Glaser (3&4)

Located in Trinidad to the Amazon River delta. They have two distinct morphs, gray and red morphs. Males reaches about an 1-1.2 inches, and females 1.1-1.2inches. They are a type of guppy species in the Micropoecilia subgenus of Poecilia, while being a sister subgenus to Acanthophacelus (Reticulata/Obscura/Wingei). Unlike their Acanthophacelus guppy relatives, Picta’s and other members in the genus Micropoecilia, have a rapidly degrading Y chromosome. To compensate for that the females, X chromosome has twice as many linked genes to it. Meaning the females will pass down her genes to her sons and daughters, while the fathers passed his linked traits to his daughters, and chromosome to his sons. They are slender, with a range of painted orange to gray body color with black markings. They have a short tail fin, and oval shaped dorsal fin. This species truly thrive in brackish conditions. But they can tolerate full fresh, and full salt. Domesticated specimens now can do well in full fresh, thanks to commercial breeding.

In my experience, they are tricky, I already lost my first ever colony due to wasting diesease, and dropsy. Even though I’m giving picta’s a second chance i still lost some founder fry after a couple of months to wasting but I think, I got the hang of it, on how much food to give them, and what they prefer to eat. They like green matter with some protein, so I recommended a source of algae for them to graze on, and biomatter/mulm. Some salt in the water goes a long way. From my first colony, the fry I got from them were tiny and skinny they can fit through floating specimen breeding containers, so I prefer a breeder net or a separate tank entirely to grow out fry. This species aren’t prolific breeders, but they make up by how beautiful they look. Keeping this species is not for beginners or intermediate keepers… I still have a hard time with them, it’s sort of a let down as of late I’m down to an adult female and a juvenile sibling that damaged its spine during while they were being shipped to me.I’ll def get more again given the chance. They are my favorite guppy species.

Picture credits: “Red” Peter Maguire (1&2), “Black” lebendgebaerende.info (3), “Trinidad”Aquarium Glaser (4&5), “Gold/Blonde” AdrianHD (6&7), “Red” Latrell Shemar (8-11), “Red” Thomas Gleim (12&13)

Located in the Paraguay River drainage, Paraguay. Males gets to around an inch and females as well gets to around 1-1.5 inches size. Not the best of media I could find of them but they are a simple species, olive grey in color, small dorsals, a nice blue iridescent sheen to them, and small pointed faces.

Picture credits: unknown

Located in Lake Miragoane, southwestern Haiti. Size wise males are 1.2 inches and females just abit bigger. They are olive gray in color with mild robust body, yellow tinge fins and sports vertical bars when active. Not much to say on this species but they are pretty cool looking.

Picture credits: Rodet Rodriguez-Silva (1), Michi Tobler (2)

Located in Veracruz, Mexico. Scientific name comes from a German aquarist of the name Arthur Rachow. Common name is from the city of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz where they can be found. This is a small and slender species, males reaching around 1.1 inches and females 1.5 inches in size. They have a gray body and beautiful clear iridescent scales, you’re able to see right through it. A simple looking Livebearer, yet attractive.

Picture credits: E. Pürzl (1&2), Juan Miguel Artigas Azas (3)

Only found in San Marcos Spring, Central Texas, US. They get 1.6 inches in size. They are expected to be extinct in the wild last known siting was from 1983. They have dark gray body with blue iridescences, yellow tint fins with black trimming in the dorsals. Not much media of this species but they are a pretty nice looking.

Picture credits: Texas Parks & Wildlife Department

Located in Jari river drainage, in northern Brazil. They are part of the Branneri complex being close relatives to P. branneri, P. bifurca, P. minima, and P. sarrafae. Males gets to around an inch, and females 1.5 inches in size. They are olive grey slender bodied specimens, with an orange dorsal, an eye spot marking on the front of the body, a spot on the base of the penduncle, with a red/black/blue top sword (shown on males).

Picture credits: Edward James

Located in San Juan River, Dominican Republic. Males get around an inch and females get around 1.5 inches in size. They are a smaller species of Limia with a slender body, and blunt mouth, black and yellow dorsals, Blue sheen, vertical bars, black under side resembles a young Limia melanogaster somewhat.

- Pic credits: Patricia Torres (1-3), Thomas Gleim (4&5)

Located in Panama. Males reaches 1.2 inches and females 3 inches in size. They are olive gray, faded black line going across the body, orange pigments on the dorsal, tail fin, deep orange gonopodium, and large black spot on the base of it. A simple yet nice looking species

- Pic credits: Samuel Valdes

Located in Rio Conchos of Chihuahua, Mexico. They are part of the nobilis complex. Males gets to around 1.2 inches and females 1.5 inches in size. Appearance wise they are very robust, with bulldog/pug like shaped faces, black streak on the eyes, olive grey body, with bluish-green to yellow-goldish iridescence, and faded yellow fins mostly.

- Pic credits: Ivan Dibble (1), Marco Arroyo (2), Gabriel Hernando (3&4)

Located on the island of Hispaniola (Haiti & Dominican Republic). Close related to Poecilia montana. Both species make up the subgenus of Psychropoecilia, which is a sister subgenus to Limia in the Poecilia genus. Males gets to around 1.5-1.75 inches and females 2-2.5 inches. They are robust shaped specimens, cream-gray in color, vertical bars on the top portion of their penduncles, vibrant yellow-orange dorsals that has a black trim and spot at the base, and yellow-orange tail fins.

- Pic credits: Mark Henry Sabaj (1), Patrcia Torres Pineda (2&3), Manfred K. Meyer (4)

Located all over the Bahamas, they share waters with G. puncticulata. Sister species to G. manni, and close relative to G. nicaraguensis. Males gets to around 1.3 inches and females around 2-2.5 inches in size. They have an olive gray base, black streak going across the eyes, short yellow dorsals, tiny row of pigment spots on the dorsal and tailfin, and males sporting short gonopodiums.

- Pic credits: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (1-3), Tom Kennedy (4), “melanistic” AdrianHD (5)

Located in Rio Balsas system in Guerrero, Mexico. This species (part of the Mexicana complex) is pretty big with males reaching around 3.75 inches and females 4.3 inches in size. Body wise, they’re olive gray in color, very robust, thick orange-yellow band on the dorsal and tail fin. Males has a wider angled tail fin and medium sized dorsal, and orange chest, compare to their female counterparts. They can have a range of pigment phenotypes like black Dalmatian/mottled, or orange lateral spots. Also a sister species to Poecilia limantouri.

- Pic credits: Topiltzin Contreras (1), Heiko Bleher (2), Topiltzin Contreras (3), danjimenez1618 (4), kkacheltje (5)

Located in San Marcos River just downstream from Rio Vista Dam, San Marcos, Hays County, Texas. Close relatives to G. affinis, and G. speciosa. In their habitat range other species of Gambusia shares water with Geiseri, like G. affinis, G. nobilis, and G. georgei. Males gets to around 1 inch and females up to 1.75 inches in size. This species isn’t attractive but they are olive gray in color, slender body, small dorsals, males have short gonopodiums compare to other members, and sparce speckling all over the body and fins.

- Pic credits: Michi Tobler (1-3), Turner Brockman (4&5)

Located in Mexico, and Columbia. Males gets around 1.5 inches and females 3 inches in size. They are slender, olive gray in color, with silver bellies, thin vertical bars going across the body, and males having pretty long gonopodiums. They can tolerate full fresh to brackish water conditions. In the wild they share waters with Anableps dowei.

- Pic credits: Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (1&2), Slaboch, R. (3&4), Eli - Mexican Fish.com (5)

Located in Brazil. Males gets to around 1 inch and females 1.75 inches. Not much document on them from what I can find. They are slender specimens, olive gray with an orange hue, multiple streaks going across the body, and a short pug like face.

- Pic credits: Unknown (1), rapinoinfeliz (2)

U.S native species, located in San Felipe Creek, Texas. They are an endangered species, belonging to the nobilis species group, and shares water with Gambusia speciosa. Males reaches around 2 inches in size, and females 2.5 inches in size. Body wise they’re pretty plain looking, Gray body, mid section has a black reticulated band going across, top half being more olive in color, while the bottom half is more silver, overarched head, and stubby upturned mouth.

- Pic credits: Jason Penney (1), Garold W. Sneegas (2&3), diomedea_exulans_li (4&5), Seth Patterson (6&7)

Located in northwestern Cuba, and South Florida, U.S. The Floridian population is listed as vulnerable due to habitat lost. Other than that they are a mainly brackish water species of Gambusia, and don’t do so well in fresh water environment. They’re also a sister species to G. punctata. Males gets around 1.2inches and females 1.5inches in size. They are a pretty species, with grey moderately robust bodies, rows of spots going across, and yellow dorsals more noticeable in male specimens.

- Pic credits: Thomas Gleim (1), Unknown (2), ccohen (3), Alexis Desmarais (4&5)