# Endler's livebearer article



## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

My article on the Endler's Livebearer is in the new WetWebMedia online magazine. Click the picture, then the 5. 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/WWMDigitalMagV6.htm


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Very interesting read. You do seem to know a lot about endlers. 

Do you keep class N endlers?


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## Sorafish (Sep 15, 2011)

Very well put together!! I'm curious though. Looking at today's 'lyretail' guppies sold in most pet stores, do you think its possible that its a result of a hybridization with these little guys? The black bars appear on some of their tails, but mainly the color patterns they show seem very similar...


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

@bmlbytes I have black bar and peacock class-N strains. At the moment I only have my colony starters because I am recovering from a die-off caused by something toxic on some heaters I bought. If you want endlers check back in 6 months. I'll be drowning in them.

@Sorafish It's possible since they hybridize so easily. The black bar on the sides and not the tail is where the name comes from, though.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Nice job!
I don't buy "P. wingei" for one second, but nice job.
I like the tiger hybrids, and the "yellow jackets."


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

Buy it or not, taxonomists get to make that decision. They have classified it as P. wingei so it is P. wingei until they say it isn't. As one of my physics professors used to say, all of science is either physics or stamp collecting. I don't really care which book of stamps they place this one into.


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

I just saw a bunch of these in a LFS today and I want them! I've been considering a small livebearer tank and now it's almost official. Now if I can only find space for it.....

The guy in the store told me a few things that I've found out in the last hour are contradicting.
1. He said they are all only male
2. He said I can (and should) breed them with regular guppies

From your article and other google results it seems he doesn't know much about them. I will return to the store next week and let him know that he probably has class-k endlers


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

I heard that also. That the fish aren't really different enough from wild guppies to be a separate species, but the name stands because it encourages conservation. IMO, its not important, nor my call. I agree that if you have fish from a specific location, its good to keep the separately and maintain the ID. If you hybridize, sell the fish as hybrids. Some of the line-bred endlers and endler's hybrids are pretty spectacular and are still generally healthier than "fancy guppies".


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

SOME taxonomists made that decision. Many others disagree. This debate ain't over yet. I think they're just a tribe/clade, and so do many other "splitters" like me.

Not worth fighting over here, though.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

PuterChickFL said:


> I just saw a bunch of these in a LFS today and I want them! I've been considering a small livebearer tank and now it's almost official. Now if I can only find space for it.....


Why not? Even if they are hybrids, they are still attractive fish.



PuterChickFL said:


> The guy in the store told me a few things that I've found out in the last hour are contradicting.
> 1. He said they are all only male


I'm not sure what you mean by this. The females are plain gold and much larger than the males. Only males get the coloration.




PuterChickFL said:


> 2. He said I can (and should) breed them with regular guppies


That is plain ignorant. You can, of course, but should I would debate. If you do, please don't tell anyone they are anything but endler hybrids.



PuterChickFL said:


> From your article and other google results it seems he doesn't know much about them. I will return to the store next week and let him know that he probably has class-k endlers


Likely he doesn't care. But if they are nice fish there's no reason not to keep them.


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## Fishpunk (Apr 18, 2011)

TheOldSalt said:


> SOME taxonomists made that decision. Many others disagree. This debate ain't over yet. I think they're just a tribe/clade, and so do many other "splitters" like me.
> 
> Not worth fighting over here, though.


The fight is not subtle. Unless you have a vested interest in the outcome, and very few people do, it's best to stay out of the fight.


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## PuterChickFL (Feb 23, 2010)

oh i agree they are VERY attractive!! All the ones he had were colorful so i guess he was truthful, but he made me think that endlers are only male. I would need a new tank setup before getting them. They are smaller than my other fish and they may look pretty tasty to my current population. it's just that my current living arrangements doesnt give me much real estate for another tank. Unless I get rid of my photo studio.....


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## emc7 (Jul 23, 2005)

Maybe he only had male ones. Breeders will often keep only the best males and all the females and sell only males.

I thought if you think fish the same species, you were a "lumper", not a "splitter". Or do you want to break up P. reticulata also?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

That's my point; even many splitters aren't convinced.


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