Ornamental fish > Show quality fancy tail guppy > Endler guppy – Poecilia wingei – Endler’s livebearers
The ornamental fish Poecilia wingei belonging to the genus Poecilia is known among the aquarium enthusiasts as Endler’s fish, Endler’s livebearers or Endler guppy.
Taxonomic position and distribution of Poecilia wingei
These ornamental colorful guppy like fish were first collected by Franklyn F. Bond in the year 1937, from the Venezuelan estuary called Laguna de Patos.
Again these ornamental fish were rediscovered by Dr.John Endler (presently Professor in Animal Behaviour, School of Psychology, University of Exeter)
in the year 1975.
The wild natural habitat of these ornamental livebearer fish is undergoing fast degradation and there is sharp decline in the number of natural specimens of these fish.
Poecilia wingei (Endler’s livebearer) in aquarium
The ornamental fish are small in size and are preferably kept as single species. In a community aquarium the preferable tank mates of these ornamental livebearer fish can be peace loving dwarf corydoras and Otocinclus Catfish.
As Poecilia wingei can hybridise with guppy, to conserve the purity of the strain they should not be kept with them.
As they are from warm tropical regions the aquarium water must be warm and in cold regions heater must be used to maintain water temperature around 75-80 degree Celsius.
Poecilia wingei prefer hard water and are tolerant to slight salinity. These ornamental livebearer fish are preferably kept in a planted tank with aeration. In the darkness they prefer to go to the bottom and rest.
Feeding Endlers livebearers
These ornamental livebearer fish are omnivores and feed on detritus, insect larvae and worms. In an aquarium they can be fed with pellet or flake feed, dried worms and live worms.
The size of the food must be small enough to fit their tiny mouths. These ornamental livebearer fish can be fed twice daily in the day time.
Breeding Poecilia wingei
The males of these ornamental livebearer fish have bright colors and sport varying hues and patterns of green, orange, blue and black. Poecilia wingei is much smaller in size when compared to normal guppy.
Like guppy females, the females of endler’s livebearers are pale in color. Mature females have gravid spot and the males carry a gonopodium. The male Poecilia wingei deposits spermatophore into the female after courtship.
After a gestation period of about 23-25 days the female Poecilia wingei releases 10-40 free swimming young ones. Young babies can be fed with finely powdered adult feed.
When kept with guppies there is a possibility of getting fertile hybrid. In order to conserve the purity of the species it is better not to hybridise Poecilia wingei with guppy.