What do Molly/Guppy Crosses look like? - Aquarium Advice

theotheragentm · 05-11-2008, 03:24 PM

Foolishly, I kept one male Guppy/Endler cross in my 55 gallon tank after ensuring I had only female Platies and Mollies. I kept thinking, "He's so small. What is he going to do?" He was in the tank for quite a while too with no signs of mating or pregnancy. Well, one of the female Mollies was kind of anti-social as of late and rather large, but I chalked the size up to my accidental overfeeding.

Well, now I have a breeding net full of these little guys. I vaguely recall reading that they are most likely sterile. Is that true? I'm not taking chances just the same. I wonder what they'll look like. Any ideas?

CatatonicBug · 05-12-2008, 01:21 AM

I had no idea that mollies and guppies could mate!

theotheragentm · 05-12-2008, 11:46 AM

I did, and still I left a male Guppy in the tank. Shame on me.

Guppy, Molly, Endler

Platy, Swordtail

Those are the groups that can interbreed.

thatmagicguy · 05-13-2008, 02:33 PM

Well molly/guppy crosses are sterile. Usually the mating only occurs when the two fish have been kept in the same tank with no other guppies or mollys. And the crosses are very rare. I have seen it done a few times and the young seem to be a thin washed out M sphenops shaped fish.

If your female molly has been with a male molly within 2 months then the babies are probably mollys. They can store live sperm for an extended period of time, even have over 4 subsequent broods with no male fish around. So she could have even been impregnated months ago.

If they do turn out to be the endler/molly cross we'd love to see pictures.

Bill

pitt420dude · 05-13-2008, 03:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CatatonicBug

I had no idea that mollies and guppies could mate!

Me neither. How about that!

theotheragentm · 05-13-2008, 05:41 PM

The babies are definitely no from a male Molly. I read somewhere that the act of mating can cause female livebearers to create clones of themselves, and that the fry may not even be from the Guppy, but caused by the Guppy trying to mate with the Molly. I didn't see any further reading on that so I doubt it, but maybe someone else could shed some light on the subject.

05-11-2008, 03:24 PM	#1 (permalink)
theotheragentm Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,172	What do Molly/Guppy Crosses look like? Foolishly, I kept one male Guppy/Endler cross in my 55 gallon tank after ensuring I had only female Platies and Mollies. I kept thinking, "He's so small. What is he going to do?" He was in the tank for quite a while too with no signs of mating or pregnancy. Well, one of the female Mollies was kind of anti-social as of late and rather large, but I chalked the size up to my accidental overfeeding. Well, now I have a breeding net full of these little guys. I vaguely recall reading that they are most likely sterile. Is that true? I'm not taking chances just the same. I wonder what they'll look like. Any ideas? __________________ Box of Water - My Personal Musing and Photos on Fish Keeping

05-12-2008, 01:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
CatatonicBug Aquarium Advice Freak Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Saint Louis, MO Posts: 465 Images: 6	I had no idea that mollies and guppies could mate! __________________ Remember - in Aquaria, nothing good happens fast. Starting a new tank? Click here for instructions. 47g tall FW, 10g planted, 2.5g planted office tank

05-12-2008, 11:46 AM	#3 (permalink)
theotheragentm Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,172	I did, and still I left a male Guppy in the tank. Shame on me. Guppy, Molly, Endler Platy, Swordtail Those are the groups that can interbreed. __________________ Box of Water - My Personal Musing and Photos on Fish Keeping

05-13-2008, 02:33 PM	#4 (permalink)
thatmagicguy Aquarium Advice Apprentice Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: florida Posts: 47	Well molly/guppy crosses are sterile. Usually the mating only occurs when the two fish have been kept in the same tank with no other guppies or mollys. And the crosses are very rare. I have seen it done a few times and the young seem to be a thin washed out M sphenops shaped fish. If your female molly has been with a male molly within 2 months then the babies are probably mollys. They can store live sperm for an extended period of time, even have over 4 subsequent broods with no male fish around. So she could have even been impregnated months ago. If they do turn out to be the endler/molly cross we'd love to see pictures. Bill __________________ Billismad.tripod.com

05-13-2008, 05:41 PM	#6 (permalink)
theotheragentm Aquarium Advice Addict Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 2,172	The babies are definitely no from a male Molly. I read somewhere that the act of mating can cause female livebearers to create clones of themselves, and that the fry may not even be from the Guppy, but caused by the Guppy trying to mate with the Molly. I didn't see any further reading on that so I doubt it, but maybe someone else could shed some light on the subject. __________________ Box of Water - My Personal Musing and Photos on Fish Keeping

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