There are some really incredible facts about guppies! Here are 10 of our favorites…
1. Guppies are named after the man who discovered them
The guppy is named after Robert John Lechmere Guppy! Mr Guppy was credited with discovering the fish in Trinidad in 1866.
2. You can see baby guppies’ eyes before they’re even born!
Guppies don’t lay eggs, they give birth to live young. And, just before a female guppy gives birth, it’s often possible to see the eyes of the baby guppies through the translucent skin of their mother!
3. Guppies are known as the millionfish
Guppies are often called the millionfish. This is because of how quick and easy it is to breed them.
4. A female guppy can give birth to well over 100 fry at a time
While most guppies give birth to fewer fry than this. Some female guppies have been known to give birth to up to 200 babies in one go!
5. Guppies mature very quickly
A male guppy will be ready to breed at just 2 months old. Females are usually ready to breed by the time they are 3 months old.
6. Guppies will eat their own babies!
To stop their habitat getting overcrowded, guppies have evolved to eat their own fry. To stop this happening, you should remove baby guppies to a separate tank soon after they are born.
7. Female guppies store sperm
After breeding with a male and giving birth once, a female guppy can become pregnant again even if no males are present! This is because female guppies store sperm, which they can use to get pregnant several times, without needing a male to impregnate them.
8. Guppies can live for up to five years
While most guppies only live for one or two years, some guppies have been known to live to five years of age.
9. Guppies have been used to fight malaria
Guppies have been deliberately set free in Asian waters to fight the spread of malaria. Malaria is passed on to humans by mosquitoes, but guppies eat mosquito larvae, which helps reduce the number of mosquitoes and slows the spread of the disease.
10. Guppies vary in shape as well as color
As well as choosing from a huge variety of guppy colors, you can also choose from a huge variety of guppy tail shapes when picking out or breeding your fish. Guppy tail shapes include the veil tail, lace tail, lyre tail, flag tail, double sword tail, and many more!
