Snakeskin Guppy (Poecilia reticulata var. Snakeskin) Care Guide
Snakeskin is a fancy guppy strain of Poecilia reticulata, a small livebearer with a reticulated body and fin pattern.
Compiled by Aquairi from published sources · Published · Updated
Overview
The Snakeskin guppy is a selectively bred strain of Poecilia reticulata. Wikipedia explicitly lists snakeskin among the fancy guppy strains developed for distinct colours, patterns and fin shapes, characterised by a fine reticulated pattern across the body and fins. The guppy is a small, popular livebearing fish of the family Poeciliidae.
Taxonomy
- Family: Poeciliidae
- Genus: Poecilia
- Base species: Poecilia reticulata
- Strain: Poecilia reticulata var. Snakeskin (selectively bred)
Habitat
Wikipedia records the guppy as native to parts of northern South America and the Caribbean, including Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela. Fancy strains such as Snakeskin are aquarium-developed forms of this wild species.
Tank requirements
- Minimum tank volume: 40 L (about 11 gal)
- Temperature: 22-28 °C (72-82 °F); Wikipedia notes aquarium fish do well around 25.5-27.8 °C
- pH: 7-8.5
- GH: 10-25 °dGH
- Lifespan: about 1-3 years; Wikipedia cites roughly 2 years in the wild
Diet
Guppies are omnivorous. Wikipedia notes that in the wild they consume algal remains, diatoms, invertebrates, zooplankton, detritus and plant fragments. In the aquarium they accept a varied diet of prepared and small live or frozen foods, typically fed twice daily.
Compatibility
Guppies are peaceful, midwater fish suited to community aquaria. They are commonly kept with other livebearers. Fin-nipping species should be avoided, as the long, ornate fins of fancy strains are easily damaged.
Breeding
Wikipedia confirms guppies are livebearers, giving birth to free-swimming young rather than laying eggs. Wikipedia gives male length as 1.5-4 cm and female length as 3-7 cm, with females the larger sex. Breeding is straightforward, and dedicated breeders maintain strains such as Snakeskin through selective pairing.
Breeding Snakeskin Guppy
Overview
The Snakeskin Guppy is a selectively bred strain of Poecilia reticulata showing a reticulated snakeskin pattern over the body and fins. Like all guppies it is a livebearer with internal fertilisation, and reproduction is very straightforward, requiring no special effort.
Sexing
Males are smaller (about 1.5-4 cm) and more colourful, and possess a stick-like modified anal fin called the gonopodium used to transfer sperm. Females are larger (about 3-7 cm), plumper and duller, and a pregnant female shows a dark gravid spot behind the anal fin.
Conditioning
Maintain several females per male, since males pursue females constantly. To preserve the snakeskin pattern, breeders line-breed selected stock: the fancy colours and patterns are heritable, with colour genes largely Y-chromosome linked, so pairing well-marked parents propagates the strain.
Birth & Fry Care
Gestation typically takes about 4-6 weeks (roughly 20-60 days at 25-27.8 degrees C), after which the female drops live, free-swimming fry. A brood may number from a few to around 100 young, with broods often between 30 and 60. Note that females can store sperm and continue producing broods for six months or more even without a male present.
Common Challenges
Adult fish will eat the fry, so dense planting with floating vegetation gives the young shelter, or the fry can be moved to a separate tank for higher survival. Fry take live foods such as brine shrimp and reach maturity in roughly three to four months.