FishForums.net Pet of the Month
🐶 POTM Poll is Open! 🦎 Click here to Vote! 🐰

cv123

New Member
Joined
Aug 7, 2022
Messages
2
Reaction score
3
Location
michigan
I recently bought this fish from Petsmart. The employee said it was a platy and ended up picking a random sku because she didn't know which breed it was. I was thinking it was a very large female guppy but she's a lit bigger than guppies I've raised. (2in. in length) The black spot seems to be coloring and not a gravid spot, but not sure. Could it be a platy-guppy hybrid or is it just a big lady that super pregnant already?
 

Attachments

  • received_1199726984201549.jpeg
    received_1199726984201549.jpeg
    179.7 KB · Views: 2,378
Just a normal guppy :) They can vary in size a fair amount, and hybrids are super rare. Does look as though she's gravid, still in fairly early stages

ETA: I was wrong, see below!
 
Last edited:
That's a female mosquito fish. So yes, a Gambusia. No doubts!
Just be careful if you keep her with other fish. They like to nip fins of other fish unless those other fish are sturdy fish.
 
That's a female mosquito fish. So yes, a Gambusia. No doubts!
Just be careful if you keep her with other fish. They like to nip fins of other fish unless those other fish are sturdy fish.

I feel guilty now for getting it wrong! Can you please teach me how to tell the difference?

What's weird is that Petsmart are selling them, That's not typical, is it?
 
The fish probably came in as a feeder fish and got put in with the guppies, or it was living with the guppies at the suppliers and got sent to the shop in a group of assorted female guppies.
Ah, thank you! Feeder fish are illegal here, so I never even thought of that. They are very similar to female guppies! Makes sense since guppies are a mosquito fish I know, but you know what I mean.
I have some research to do now, to learn the difference!
 
Can you please teach me how to tell the difference?
If you would just look at the females, there's a difference. Mosquito fish females have a more pointy head shape in comparison to female guppies. The dorsal is also more to the back than in female guppies. The mosquito fish shows a comma like mark close to the gravid spot (which you won't be able to see when she's pregnant). The mosquito fish have also small stripes in the finnage. There are mosquito fish that have a vertical stripe on the eyes and specimens that are lacking that vertical stripe. And female mosquito fish are also more slender (torpedo like) than a female guppy.
 
Thank you @emeraldking !
If you would just look at the females, there's a difference.

The differences might be obvious to you just by looking, but you're very experienced. When I'm looking, the differences aren't so obvious, and some things I'm not sure are a differences aren't as obvious, and some I'm not sure if it's a difference between the species, or the fish itself in the photos I'm looking at, or what, you know? Two female guppies can look quite different if the quality is a lot different, you know? That's the only reason I asked you for how to tell, I'm sorry.
 
I do have to say that I'm only referring to the mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis and the Gambusia holbrooki) within the Gambusia genus. For instance, the Gambusia hurtadoi has got much rounder head and less slender.
 
I do have to say that I'm only referring to the mosquito fish (Gambusia affinis and the Gambusia holbrooki) within the Gambusia genus. For instance, the Gambusia hurtadoi has got much rounder head and less slender.
Do all of them wind up being sold as feeders? Or is more likely to see the first two, but not the third, for instance?
 

Most reactions

trending

Staff online

Back
Top