Naughty Guppies

[Grant R]

Just recently, I've noticed that one of my guppis is constantly harassing another guppy, which constantly chases him away, but each time it comes back for more.
My first thought was that it was something of a mating ritual, yet the four guppies I have are all male !! Or are they .. :? !!

 

[hisc1ay]

If you're not sure...traditionally, the male guppies are very colorful and the females are drab. Although lately I have seen very pretty females. My cousin gave me one with yellow splased in her tail. I am curious to see what her babies look like with my male

A better way, but one that takes a more careful observation, is checking the fin on their belly just behind the two side-bottom fins (someone help with the name). If it's rolled up, it's a male. If it's fanned out, it's a female.

-j

 

[jasonit]

Right, what you will want to look for is a long pointy anal fin. The fin is actually modified to be used as a sex organ allowing fertilization to take place inside the female. If the guppies are attempting to mate, the male will "flick" this fin back and forth toward he female. I believe the fin is called a gonopodium.

 

[Grant R]

Nice one, I'll try look in as much detail as possible later.

 

[hisc1ay]

Yay, my first meaningful contribution! Heh...I was wondering if that fin actually had anything to do with the mating. I used to watch my small male chase my older female who was like twice his size, and he'd kinda point it at her, and I always found that amusing. She was so out of his league.

But he must have gotten her cuz she had babies shortly after...

-j

 

[CRaZeeeBiTcHisH]

females also have a gravid spot, a darkened area behind their abdomen that is absent in males

 

[daly_28656@msn.]

I had one male guppy in my tank with z.danios. I put in 3 new male guppies today and the first one seems to be antagonizing the new ones. :x is this a territorial thing that he will get over?

 

[hisc1ay]

Probably. I had one male in my tank for a while, and then I bought another male and 2 females. At first the older male was chasing around the new one, but he is also a little bigger. Now things have settled down, and their only problem is deciding which male gets which female. The most hilarious thing was watching the large female, who is bigger than the males, being "propositioned" by the two males at the same time, one on each side. I thought it was funny anyway...

-j