HomeFreshwater aquarium fishGuppies & livebearersGuppy Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) Scientific name: Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859 The Guppy (Poecilia reticulata) is a freshwater fish of the family Poeciliidae. In the aquarium it needs water at 18–28°C (64–82°F). Guppy care at a glanceTemperature18–28°C (64–82°F) BiologyDorsal spines (total): 0; Dorsal soft rays (total): 7-8; Anal spines: 0; Anal soft rays: 8 - 10Source: FishBase, licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Species factsScientific namePoecilia reticulataFamilyPoeciliidae (Poeciliids)OrderCyprinodontiformes (Live bearers, Killifishes and Rivulines)ClassActinopterygii (Ray-finned fishes)Maximum length3.5Common length2.8EnvironmentFreshwater; brackish;; pH range: 7.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19 benthopelagic; non-migratoryClimateTropicalDistributionSouth America: Venezuela, Barbados, Trinidad, northern Brazil and the Guyanas. Widely introduced and established elsewhere, mainly for mosquito control, but had rare to non-existing effects on mosquitoes, and negative to perhaps neutral effects on native fishes. Africa: Feral populations reported from the coastal reaches of Natal rivers from Durban southwards, as well as in the Kuruman Eye and Lake Otjikoto in Namibia. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction.Conservation status (IUCN)Not EvaluatedThreat to humansPotential pestUsesFisheries: of no interestResilienceHigh, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (tm=0.16-0.25; Fec=20-40 with multiple spawning per year) More guppies & livebearersSailfin mollyPoecilia latipinnaGreen swordtailXiphophorus helleriiSouthern platyfishXiphophorus maculatusMosquitofishGambusia affinisMollyPoecilia sphenopsBlackbarred limiaLimia nigrofasciataSee all guppies & livebearers SourcesTaxonomy, distribution and biology data: FishBase (Froese, R. and D. Pauly, eds.), licensed CC BY-NC 4.0. Aquarium care parameters compiled, checked and converted to metric and imperial units by Guppies.za.net.Last updated 28 September 2026