Endler's Livebearer (Poecilia sp. endleri)

Common Name:

Endler's Livebearer.

Other Names:

Endler's Guppy, Endler's Poecilia.

Scientific Name:

Poecilia sp. endleri.

Family:

Poeciliidae.

Sub Family:

Poeciliinae.

Distribution:

Laguna de Patos, Venezuela and (maybe) at the base of the Peninsula de Paria.

Size:

Males to 1", Females to 2".

Diet:

Endler's Livebearer eats an omnivorous diet similar to that of guppies.

Water Temperature:

68 to 86 degrees Fahrenheit (20-30 degrees Celsius); 81 to 85 degrees Fahrenheit (27-30 degrees Celsius) in the wild.

Water Chemistry:

Moderately to very hard water is necessary for keeping Endler's Livebearer in top shape.

pH:

6.0-9.0.

Life Span:

3 years is the likely maximum.

Minimum recommended tank size :

10 gallons (smaller for a breeding tank).

Description:

These are basically smaller poeciliin livebearers, which have the form of the wild-type guppy. The major difference, besides size, between Guppies and Endler's is the intense coloration as well as the extent of metallic green coloration displayed by the latter.

Behaviour:

These act pretty much like guppies.

Females are most comfortable when they outnumber males by a 2:1 or higher ratio, otherwise males will harass females, often to death.

Some Endler's Livebearers may nip fins, but they are, for the most part, peaceful, attractive members of community tanks.

Breeding:

Given the right conditions, you will see your male Endler's Livebearers chase their female counterparts and eventually mating will occur.

Remember that, as Poeciliin fishes, female Endler's Livebearers are able to store sperm for up to three clutches without mating again. This means that females, which are kept with guppies, must be kept in isolation for three or more months in order to be rid of the guppy sperm. (Guppies and Endler's are notorious for interbreeding. The resultant fry are much less attractive than purebred Endler's Livebearer fry.)

Baby Endler's serve as snacks for most other fish in their tank, so they should be given some cover into which they may retreat. Small foods will help a reasonable number of baby Endler's livebearers to survive in a community tank, though specially formulated foods for livebearer fry may help a maximal number of Endler's Fry to reach maturity.

Sexing:

Males show the gonopodium of all male poeciliin fishes.

Natural Conditions:

Extremely algae rich waters where the green of these livebearers is the only thing visible to females.

Tank levels:

Top-Mid.

Miscellaneous:

While TFH has reported Endler's Livebearer to be genetically separate from the Guppy, Poecilia reticulata (as have several other reliable sources), Endler's Livebearer has not been given a formal scientific name and is regarded by many to be no more than a variety of Guppy.

Some regard it as a subspecies of Guppy, some as a variety and some as a separate species, but almost all regard a pure strain of Endler's Livebearer to be a beautiful, colourful fish worth keeping in an aquarium.

Endler's Livebearer might be extinct in the wild.

A famous letter from Dr. John Endler to Richard Sexton has made the rounds and was helpful in giving information on this Livebearer in the wild.

Photo Credit:

Photo supplied courtesy and ^©Off-ice.