Hybrids Of Mine Gambusia Affinis X Poecilia Recticulata

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Gambusia are in the family Poeciliidae as are Poecilia and they are both in the subfamily Poeciliinae,
this makes me think that the genus on one of the fish is wrongly classified and a hybrid is very possible.
I'd still like to see scientific proof though.

The classification is not important as some species are mis-named or just changed by science for some reason some genuses are split but it's a long job.

The scientists studied the endlers for over 30 years (1975-2006) before finally describing the as a new species. Many people before this classed them as guppies as they are easily crossed with all lines of guppies, but until they started using genetic make up of the fish they discovered the genetic differences to classify them as a new species.

The primary way to differentiate species are.

Lateral line count
Lateral line to highest scale count
Lateral line to lowest scale count
Dorsal fin ray count
Caudal fin ray count
Gill raker count

Extra with livebearers

Gonopodium structure.

With livebearers the primary way to place fish into a genus is by the gonopodium. The structures is firstly grouped together to form the genus this is why platies and swordtail's are in the same genus and not two different genuses.

This is a typical shape of a gonopodium of a Xiphophours
gonopodium.gif



And now two different species of Gambusia. (primary differece is the gonopodium is pointed in gambusia, classing them closer the the Brachyraphis than than Poecilia)

gambusia_gonopodia.jpg



Gonopodia structure of Poecilia reticulata in Fig a. Poecilia winge, in Fig b and c
7401a07fig6.jpg

As u can see the structure with in the same species can be slightly different but on the basics it's the same design.

Anyway I've rambled on here but think I've explained the basics now and crossing between different species is difficult as the structures are different and makes fertilisation very difficult with out artificial insemination being used.

thanks for the greeeeeeeeaaaat info~~~ could u tell where i could get info kind like this? do u get anything about molly's Gonopodium?
 
John Dawes "Livebearing fishes" has 10 pages on this subject so would make a good start, and then google is very handy.
 
I would have thought the mosquito fish would have torn the guppy apart. Aren't they fairly agressive fish for being a livebearer?
 
Oh yes they are evil little fish, but females are worse than males.
 
Well I've just found a female wild platy to day in one of my tanks, I lost the parents about 3-4 moths ago and it's the only one fry thats survives as i did not even know there was fry.

So dose any one want to cross it as i don't have the space and personally i don't like to cross fish.
 
So what happened with this? Where are the promised pictures of the hybrids?
 
i dont thinke it could possible although always hearing about these kind reports , Affins and Recticulata even not in same Genus. could u show me any pic for the flys and there parents?

No offense, but I really hate how some people assume that because fish are in different genuses, they cannot cross. For example, tigers and lions can cross, asian and african elephants can cross. They are all in different genuses. Even unrelated cichlids in different genuses can cross (but that's possibly due to the classification... the classification of cichlids, mainly south american ones are a bit sketchy) Mollies and guppies can hybridize, mollies and limias can hybridize... the list goes on and on.
Hi, I'll try and get you some pic... All Vergin female Guppys were raised and breed by me.... All Fry were seperate from the Adults... All Females seperated as soon as you can tell sexes... I know there are diff in the the two Genuses but these Hybrids are all Fertile.... Sometimes it pays to try a few yourself and not go by speculations.... Its all a nice hobby.... All Gambusia were also breed by me... Not just pond caught wilds.... As always I welcome all inputt..... I also have had luck with the Endler X Gambushia... Many thanks... Toni-Marie :flowers:

I appreciate your experiment. I'm hoping to do this myself with mosquito fish (Gambusia) fry coming soon. I plan to breed them with feeder guppies.

Btw guys, this experiment has been done many many times. And I'm surprised this forum is too far behind the rest of the world to realize this.

I love that you took the time to experiment. It's acts like these that help create some of the great fish we have today. We need more ppl like you :D
 
Yeah the pictures of the hybrids would be nice. I have sucessful breed with single virgin female gambusia with 14 horny male guppies and she's just give birth last friday through the fry looks just same as guppy fry and gambusia fry. Maybe they will different looking when they are grow up...
 
You got fry thats something, can u get any pic's?
So to get the virgin you breed her your self then?
 
I appreciate your experiment. I'm hoping to do this myself with mosquito fish (Gambusia) fry coming soon. I plan to breed them with feeder guppies.

Btw guys, this experiment has been done many many times. And I'm surprised this forum is too far behind the rest of the world to realize this.

I love that you took the time to experiment. It's acts like these that help create some of the great fish we have today. We need more ppl like you :D

Do you have some references to literature on this? I find it interesting that these crosses are always attempted or "have been done" with G. affinis. It seems that the morphological similarities between guppies and affinis are taken to mean that they are somehow genetically compatible. Why hasn't anyone tried or why hasn't this "been done" with G. rhizophorae or G. Vitatta for example?
 
I have crosses Gambusia Vitatta and wild guppies .. I think cross was a successful do to vitatta male gonopodium
being similar to guppy gonopodium.. I used a female guppy to a few male vitatta.. The offspring males looked like regular wild guppies and the females looked like regular wild guppies but had the vitatta horizontal line on their bodies..
I did not continue project as there was no improvement to offer any of the two types of parental livebearers..
I did stay with one female offspring and left her with male vitattas but never got any young from her...

I have heard of many hybrid crosses = Guppy X platy and others but never see any pics..
So I have put many different livebearers to hybridize.. Get actual results if any.. Most of the success I have had comes from using wild stock crossed to domestic stock..
Most crosses that produce offspring are of a complete dominance nature. Meaning F1 look like one of the parental
fish..Showing no traits of other parental stock used.. These hybrids are only good to add a new genetic trait such as albino, gold,,bronze , lyretail and any other trait ..
Example would be = producing an albino gene to a limia from a molly..

I have also been able to produce offspring from crosses that would seem impossible... Gambusia X Phenops molly.
Again it was complete dominance..All offspring resembled Gambusia..The difference was young had bigger, thicker bodies with slightly darker body coloration = Similar to a gray bronze body color..

Best and most productive hybrids are = incomplete dominance.. These F1 have a mix of both parental traits..
You can segregate them to pick desire traits and produce new colors or new strain fish.. Of course F1 should be fertile
in order to continue projects..
This is just a little info .. As subject becomes very complicated and long..
Adrian HD
 

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