male guppy has false gravid spot

[Synirr]

Could this be a clever evolutionary trick?? One of the male guppies I bought is very drab and plain, like a female (they're feeders)... but just moments ago I looked over and saw a big, DARK black splotch on his sides. It was in the exact place a gravid spot would be, but it was clearly pigment on his skin. It has since faded in and out a couple of times. When it's faded you can't see it at all... but when it shows, he can make it very dark. This is definitely the male, by the way, and I'm not just mistaking one of the gravid females for him *lol*

I've heard of males from certain species of fish developing the physical appearance of females in order to avoid competition from other males.... could this be the case? This male also swims in a group with the females, whereas my other, brightly coloured male tends to stay more to himself...

Very interesting!!

Edit: Here's an example of what I was talking about with males having different morphologies:

In the ocellated wrasse, Symphodus ocellatus, four different male strategies have been observed in the same population (Taborsky, Hudde, & Wirtz, 1987). Large males maintain nests and care for eggs while small males are parasitic spawners (sneakers). Mid-sized males, called satellites, help the large males by defending nests against sneakers in exchange for the occasional chance to court and spawn with females. The largest males, dubbed "pirates" dominate over nesting males and take over their nest tubes.

 

[Synirr]

I posted some pics of him with and without the spot here.