GUPPY AND ENDLER - OLMACA

GUPPY AND ENDLER
___________________________
Articles of formerly Endlers.nl written by Kevin M.M. van Dijk
These articles are an converted and edited version of the articles K.M.M. van Dijk wrote at his website
Endlers.nl over a time of 4 years (2007-2012).
Rewritten and edited by Kevin himself, converted to PDF.
"the Guppy" a species or and collection of 3 species incl. subspecies.
Listed at one subgenus named Acanthophacelus (The Guppies)
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) reticulata
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) reticulata reticulata (Julius Gollmer's Guppies), Venezuela
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) reticulata guppyi (John Lechmere Guppy's Guppies), Trinidad and
Tobago
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei, Venezuela
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) obscura, Trinidad
Read further!
Copyright ©2007-2012 Endlers.nl Kevin M.M. van Dijk endlers.nl, endlers.eu & olmaca.com ...
special thanks to of
Endlers-Philipines (Allan Rey Uy Quintia)
Prof. Fred N. Poeser
___________________________
GUPPY
Sex Differences
Campoma/Cumana guppy P. wingei, Common guppy P. reticulata guppii and P. reticulata reticulata,
Oropuche guppy P. obscura, and many other species have sexual dimorphism, (while others animal's
sexes look nearly identical).
Sexual Reproduction
Typically they have two sexes with males producing spermatozoa and females ova. The ova develop into
eggs that have a covering called the chorion, which forms before internal fertilization. They have very

diverse mating and reproductive strategies most often resulting in the male depositing spermatophore
within the female, which stores the sperm until she is ready for egg fertilization. After fertilization, and the
formation of a zygote, and varying degrees of development; they develop further within the female and
live born offspring are produced, tiny juvenile fish of which the sex isn't vissible yet. The number of
males/females within the offspring are due to the aquaenvironment' temperature.
Below 23-24 degrees more females, above 24-25 degrees more males!
Sexual dimorphism is the systematic difference in form between individuals of different sex in the same
species. Examples include colour (specifically referred to as sexual dichromatism), size, and the presence
or absence of parts of the body used in courtship displays or fights, such as ornamental feathers, horns,
antlers, or tusks.
In the case of members of the subgenera; Acanthophacelus and Micropoecilia, the differences lie on the
body, black (horizontal-line/vertical-bar) markings, (metalic) collor markings, colloured fins, total body
collouring, long and thin body and a gonopodium are part of the male. Larger and more robust body, (No
marking and collouration as in male-part) "blanco" body but a yet light metalic or black collouration
covering the body and gonopodore are part of the female.
Altough in hobby-breeders and pro-breeding facilities females appear with full fin-collorations, and light
body markings, but that's part of unnatural-selection, and domestication.
What is sexual reproduction?
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two
organisms. The two main processes are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes;
and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the restoration of the original number of
chromosomes. During meiosis, the chromosomes of each pair usually cross over to achieve homologous
recombination.
The evolution of sexual reproduction is a major puzzle. The first fossilized evidence of sexually
reproducing organisms is from eukaryotes of the Stenian period, about 1 to 1.2 billion years ago. Sexual
reproduction is the primary method of reproduction for the vast majority of macroscopic organisms,
including almost all animals and plants. Bacterial conjugation, the transfer of DNA between two bacteria,
is often mistakenly confused with sexual reproduction, because the mechanics are similar.
A major question is why sexual reproduction persists when parthenogenesis appears in some ways to be
a superior form of reproduction. Contemporary evolutionary thought proposes some explanations. It may
be due to selection pressure on the clade itself�the ability for a population to radiate more rapidly in
response to a changing environment through sexual recombination than parthenogenesis allows.
Alternatively, sexual reproduction may allow for the "ratcheting" of evolutionary speed as one clade
competes with another for a limited resource.
Sexual reproduction is the creation of a new organism by combining the genetic material of two
organisms. The two main processes are: meiosis, involving the halving of the number of chromosomes;
and fertilization, involving the fusion of two gametes and the restoration of the original number of
chromosomes. During meiosis, the chromosomes of each pair usually cross over to achieve homologous
recombination.
The evolution of sexual reproduction is a major puzzle. The first fossilized evidence of sexually
reproducing organisms is from eukaryotes of the Stenian period, about 1 to 1.2 billion years ago. Sexual
reproduction is the primary method of reproduction for the vast majority of macroscopic organisms,
including almost all animals and plants. Bacterial conjugation, the transfer of DNA between two bacteria,
is often mistakenly confused with sexual reproduction, because the mechanics are similar.
A major question is why sexual reproduction persists when parthenogenesis appears in some ways to be
a superior form of reproduction. Contemporary evolutionary thought proposes some explanations. It may
be due to selection pressure on the clade itself�the ability for a population to radiate more rapidly in
response to a changing environment through sexual recombination than parthenogenesis allows.
Alternatively, sexual reproduction may allow for the "ratcheting" of evolutionary speed as one clade

competes with another for a limited resource.
The guppy, why is it called a Guppy and not a
Gollmer?
How the Guppy got its name, and why it is not called a "Gollmer"..
The Guppy takes its name from Robert John Lechmere Guppy ( born 1836 in London; died 1916 in San
Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago).
British-born "Lechmere," as he was called, was raised by his grandparents. In 1858 he went to Trinidad,
where his parents were living. He married and became Trinidad's first Chief Inspector of Schools.
Although he had no formal training in the sciences, (he was a civil engineer by trade), Lechmere wrote
and published numerous articles on the palaeontology of the region. Contrary to popular myth, Lechmere
Guppy, as he was known, was NOT a clergyman. He was, in fact, an agnostic.
Regarding the naming of the fish, Lechmere Guppy's daughter Enid Fraser was quoted in The Aquarium,
Vol. XIV No. 7, November, 1945, as writing the following:
". . .chief credit for the name should go to my father, the late Dr. Robert John Lechmere Guppy who,
although a conchologist and geologist was the first to discover the small livebearer here [Trinidad] and
was rather intrigued by its appearance. He sent specimens to London for cataloguing and scientific
description by the then Keeper (Curator) of Zoology of the British Museum, the late Dr. Albert Carl Ludwig
Gotthilf Guenther. The latter named the fish Girardinus guppii in honor of my father, and this scientific
label was employed long enough for its specific designation to be returned, by popular terminology, to its
original form: Guppy. Later on, after research by many scientists had been collated, the title Lebistes
reticulatus was decide upon as being the best scientific term for the fish, but despite all this technical
change Dr. Guenther's original specific designation based upon my father's name, has continued in good
standing throughout the world as the common name for the fish."
The genus Girardinus was named after the French biologist Charles Girard.

The reason for the change of scientific name was at least in part that ,Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters, head
of the Ichthyology department of the Prussian Academy of Sciences in Berlin, had described the fish in a
paper on Venezuelan fishes in the bulletin of the Academy many years before Lechmere Guppy sent his
specimens to the British Museum
Julius Gollmer, an amateur German biologist, found "Guppies" in the Rio Guayre near Caracas,
Venezuela, in 1857 and 1858. He sent these fish preserved in jars to the Imperial Prussian Academy of
Science in Berlin. Gollmer's first shipment to the Museum included 61 colourful fish, caught in the Rio

Guayre near his home in Caracas during 1856. The ichthyologists were apparently not impressed with the
fish and the Museum gave Julius Gollmer only faint praise, paid him 100 "Reichstaler" and then promptly
filed the jars containing the specimens in the archives.. Gollmer was naturally unhappy about this and
over the years contact between Gollmer and the Museum faded until Gollmer died in 1861. This were the
fishes that Peters described, and and it is only due to a filing error that the Guppy is not known as the
"Gollmer".
Some time after 1866, the original males that Julius Gollmer sent to Berlin were found and labelled
Girardinus Guppyi. The females that had previously been named Poecilia were forced to take on the
name of the male counterpart, as was the practice in those days.
The reason for the delay in describing the males by Peters is not clearly understood. It is known that
Gollmer had shipped males and females in the same jars and although he may have been no
ichthyologist, when catching the fish he should have noticed the obvious colour differences between the
two sexes and put them in separate jars. Despite this, Peters, who was educated in ichthyology, should
have certainly known about the sexual dimorphism of Poecilids as Haeckel had described the two sexes
of the green swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) as early as 1848. The labelling of Gollmer's jars and the lack
of communication between Berlin and Gollmer may have compounded the confusion.
During Regan's revision of the Genus Poecilidae in 1913 both stocks from the Berlin and London
Museums were recognised to be the same species and renamed Lebistes reticulatus (acknowledging
Peters description as the first valid one). A further revision by Rosen and Bailey in 1963 changed the
species name Poecilia reticulata, making Peters 1859 description valid again.The scientific name of
Guppies has undergone quite a number of revisions in the past 100+ years, for now settling on the name
of Poecilia reticulata (Rosen and Bailey, 1963) You may still see the Guppy described under the scientific
name of Lebistes reticulata or otherwise in scientific publications.( Acanthocephalus guppii,
Acanthocephalus reticulatus, Girardinus guppyi, Girardinus Petersi, Girardinus poeciloides, Girardinus
reticulatus, Haridichthys reticulatus, Heterandria guppyi, Lebistes reticulatus,Lebistes poecilioides,
Poecilia poeciloides, Poecilioides reticulatus, etc.)
The first recorded live Guppies to enter Europe were into Germany in December 1908; Carl Siggelkow
imported them in to Hamburg were it was soon nicknamed "Millionenfisch" (million Fish).
Around 1920 a Leipzig fish club in Germany developed the first points system for judging Guppies, the
maximum points available was 50, the club held the first recorded Guppy show in November 1922.
The first fancy Guppy in today's terms that became widely available was the swordtail and although
swordtail guppies do occur in the wild, the double swordtail does not and was first isolated and developed
around 1928.

The Micro Look-a-Like Wildtype, Poecilia reticulata var. Orange Line, origin: "Rio / River Morichal Largo",
is a tributary of the Orinoco River (A location of P. reticulata)

Location of Wild Guppy outside South-America
Philippines (wild guppy) Biotope Georgetown Heights Molino IV, Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines

_____________________________________
Writters Note:
_ _
What is a species; remarks on the renaming of ELB to Poecilia wingei
Species mean more to humans than they do to Nature. Species boundaries are artifical constructs that
exist to make life quantifiable and classifiable. The very fact that Endlers and "regular" guppies interbreed
so easily reinforces this point, and whatever we call an ELB, from the point of view of a guppy, it's close
enough to be seen as a potential mate.
When animals like fish receive a name in a scientific paper, this is merely an opinion. Creating a scientific
name doesn't "do" anything to the animal, and often other scientists will disagree with the the new name.
Scientists will be looking for reasons to squash the "new" species name. In the case of the ELB there are
arguments over the methods used, the regular guppies that the comparisons were made with, the form of
the gonopodium, etc. etc..
The classical definition of species ( By definition it applies only to organisms which reproduce
sexually...) was proposed by Ernst Mayr in 1942, defining it as reproductively isolated groups of
organisms. In his book Systematics and the Origin of Species (1942) he wrote that a species is not just a
group of morphologically similar individuals, but a group that can breed only among themselves,
excluding all others.

This is known as the "biological species definition" - An animal is a member of that species if, mated to
another member of the species, they produce offpring which are in turn capable of producing offspring of
that species.
The offspring of a horse and donkey, or a tiger and lion, goat and sheep, are sterile (almost all the time),
because horses and donkeys, and tigers and lions, etc. are members of different species.
( That makes this offspring the REAL hybrids...not the crosses between guppy and ELB, that are NO
hybrids in the classical sense..)
_ _
_________________________________
Endler's guppy "Poecilia (acanthophacelus)
wingei"
Endler's Livebearer ( ELB )
also refered to as Endler, Poecilia spec. or Poecilia Endleri, Endler's Micro
Endler's Guppy
Also refered to as Endler's guppy, Cumana guppy (Alexander and Breden 2004) or Campoma guppy c.q.
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei Poeser, Kempkes & Isbruecker, 2005
True species, few extinct. (Thanks to Fred N. Poeser)
4 Taxa of Guppy's, genus Poecilia, subgenus Acanthophacelus:
Poecilia reticulata reticulata Peters, 1859
Poecilia reticulata guppii Günter, 1894
Poecilia wingei Poeser, Kempkes & Isbrücker, 2005
Poecilia obscura Schories, Meyer & Schartl, 2008

A swarm of hybrid's between these fishes caused a lot of diversity of "Endler's guppy's".
6 Taxa of Micro's, genus Poecilia, subgenus Micropoecilia:
Poecilia parae Eigenmann, 1894
Poecilia branneri Eigenmann, 1894
Poecilia bifurca Eigenmann, 1907
Poecilia picta Regan, 1913
Poecilia minima Costa & Sarraf, 1997
Poecilia Endleri / Poecilia spec. . This one is extinct "Endler's Livebearer" (Or in fact "Endler's micro")
So to split it up:
Endler's Livebearer (ELB), Endler's "micro" = Poecilia (Micropoecilia) Endleri
Campoma/Cumaná guppy or Endler's "guppy" = Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei - Poeser, Kemkes &
Isbrucker, 2005
HISTORY
Prof. John A. Endler told in a letter that he originally collected these fishes in 1975 in Laguna de Patos,
Cumana, in northeastern Venezuela. Prof. Endler said that he found them in warm (27° C or 81° F), hard
water which was very green with unicellular algae. They coexisted with regular guppies (Poecilia
reticulata). Prof. Endler gave a stock of Poecilia sp. "Endler's" to Dr. Donn Eric Rosen, the then Curator
of Ichthyology at the American Museum of Natural History, who was going to name it (but died a few
years later). Dr. Rosen gave some of the stock to a mutual friend of Dr. Endler, Dr. Klaus Kallman, then
of the New York Aquarium, and a famous fish geneticist. Dr. Kallman introduced it to the German
aquarium community. Dr. Kallman didn't tell Dr. Endler at the time, but he gave it the name "Endler's
Livebearer" or "Endler's Guppy". From the German aquarists it spread throughout Europe and Dr.
Endler didn't hear about it until about 1980 when an English colleague asked him about the "Endler's
Livebearer". From Europe they were distributed to America, Japan and elsewhere.
In his letter in 1995 Endler clearly stated that that the "Endler's Livebearer" is it's own species, not a
guppy...
Endler saw possible specimens of his fishes in the UMMZ ( University of Michigan Museum of Zoology )
in the collection of the fish-collector Franklyn F. Bond, who collected them in the 1930's. ; Endler later
said that the fishes with the "comma" in this collection were NOT the fishes he originally refered to. The
specimens from UMMZ are recently thouroughly re-examined; zero of the stocked "guppys" appear to be
"Endler's guppy"....
Already in 1976 Ingo Schlup from the University of Hamburg collected fishes ( directed to the location by
Prof.Endler ); also Dr. Wolfgang Staeck, Dr. Joachim Knaack, Rob Toonen,
(later Armando Pou and lots of others! ) collected fishes from the Laguna de Patos and other locations in
the Cumana-region.

Pou
>

See also : http://endlerslivebearer.fc2web.com/notes/locality.htm and
http://homepage2.nifty.com/endlers/my_endler_(12)eplc.html ( Japanese sites...)
>>

In februari 2008 some members of the: Acuaristasdevenezuela.com.ve made a trip to Laguna de Patos to
see what was still there; besides cichlides, etc. they collected fotos en specimens from several other
fishes..; note that this is from only one location !
They wonder if this still are the fishes that John Endler intially ment or that some level of hybridisation has
occured...

Cumana guppy
The "Cumana guppy"
Heather J. Alexander - Graduate - PhD Department of Biological Sciences on the Canadian Simon Fraser
University 2007 graduated on the thesis: Population differentiation and sexual isolation among Poecilia
reticulata populations.
She concluded that there was "no evidence of genetic incompatibility" between ELB ( Endlers Live
Bearer ) and Poecilia reticulata ( Guppy ) . Also was found that the population in Cumana has had DNA
introgressed ("hybridized") from regular guppies.
However the differences between the fysical appereance of the males of both variations are that big that it
looks that this could be a different species and/or subspecies, and although the latest thesis ( 2007 )of
Alexander e.a. seems to confirm this, basically the suggestion is made that this fish is a geographical race
of guppy, and so named according to the geographic location as Cumana guppy. Its not been thought of
as a species by Alexander and Breden.
For her PhD-thesis she made a thorough survey of an approximately 100 km radius around Cumana,
Venezuela, in more than 20 rivers and canals including all adjacent drainages in 2000 and 2001, together
with ( among others..) her promotor Felix Breden.
Only in three locations West of the City of Cumana she could find the typical Endler-variant. The original
location where Prof. Endler did his discovery is not mentioned in her thesis..
An array of males retrieved from a single population of the Cumaná guppy ( Collected from the Rio
Manzanarez ) reveals the diversity of male coloration in these fish, which is controlled by more than 40
sex-linked loci.

Campoma guppy
Campoma guppy c.q. Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei Poeser, Kempkes &
Isbruecker, 2005
In 2006 Fred Poeser describes the discovery of the Campoma Guppy ( Poecilia (Acanthophacelus)
wingei, a true Caribbean gem, Poeser F.N 2006 ) in the Cariaco- Carupano regio in Venezuela ( see the
map) , far away from Cumana ..: "Not only have we found the beauties with the “Endler comma”, there
were also the “normal” spotted Guppies, or completely green ones, or completely yellow (which made
them golden, because all colours were metallic, always). The tail fin could be normal, but could have
bottom swords, or top sword, or double swords. Dorsal fins had colours or were without, gonopodia could
be black or not. There was no end to the variation, except that all colours were metallic! Just exquisite.
Even the female had this metallic sheen over their bodies.!"
( foto from Fred Poesers article )

image)
"The Carupano variety of the Campoma Guppy" ( fotos from Fred Poesers article )
(Large
In the aftermath of the discovery in the Campoma-region and the publication of : Description of Poecilia
(Acanthophacelus) wingei. sp. from the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela, including notes on Acanthophacelus
Eigenmann, 1907 and other subgenera of Poecilia Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Teleostei,
Cyprinodontiformes, Poeciliidae) ALL fishes that look a bit "Endlerish" are ( strange enough..) renamed as
Poecilia wingei ( after Ojvind Winge 1886 - 1964 )
In spite of the fact that Poeser in his publication merely stated: "the populations of Campoma-like guppies
collected in a coastal area of Venezuela, in Cumana, Laguna de los Patos (Endler, pers. comm.), might
very well be an established local population of P. wingei", many people have renamed the fishes from
Cumana as this...

The campoma guppy paradise

Together with the "Common" Guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ) and the Oropuche Guppy ( Poecilia obscura ),
the Campoma Guppy ( Poecilia wingei ) represents the subgenus Acanthophacelus Eigenmann, 1907.
The "Guppy" is not alone in taxonomy anymore..

The Truth
The fish John Endler originally described might be extinct (Endler's Livebearer Poecilia (M) endleri).
The guppies "Endlerish" fish in Cumaná, are local estabelished population of the fish that Fred N. Poeser
originally described at the "Campoma" locations, Campoma guppy Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei
these are called Endler's "guppy" or Cumaná "guppy", and these might be endangered species, because
of local human' trash inside the lagune's... not the Cumaná (ELB) or Endler's micro.
A big group of hybrid's between these (Acanthophacelus) fishes caused alot of Endler's "guppy" diversity.
The very reason is that local people used guppy like fishes to fight mosquito, and of course hobbyists who
dumped their fishes in rivers, lagunes, lakes and ponds nearby their homes.... Which is directly the
reason why people find hybrided fishes in these waters
At 2008 Fred N. Poeser said in his article in Poecilia.nl that Poecilia spec. / Poecilia sp. Endleri Endler's
Livebearer (ELB) / Endler's micro is it's own species of the genus Poecilia, the sub-genus Micropoecilia.
It's "not" the Campoma guppy, "not" the Cumaná guppy... It's in fact not a Guppy at all, it's a Micro. The
best name should be Endler's micro / Endler's Livebearer (ELB)
He stated that Poecilia (Micropoecilia) endleri should be the name for the fish he saw in the guppy
collection in a museum, added the conclusion "It was not a guppy at all!" ...
"Endler" is a collective noun with two totally different species from two totally different subgenera!.. A
"Guppy" species and a "Micro" Species
• Endler's Livebearer (ELB), Endler's "micro" = Poecilia (Micropoecilia) Endleri
• Campoma/Cumaná guppy or Endler's "guppy" = Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei
Endler's "Guppy" Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei variations are endless

(Fred N. Poeser's: letter) Endler's Livebearer ... Endless chatter or finally an answer? (Translated version
by Kevin van Dijk)
Originated from Poecilia.nl
The letter of Fred N. Poeser
_______________________________________________________
(.by Kevin van Dijk.)
(Fred N. Poeser's letter)
Endler's Livebearers . . . . . . .

Endless chatter or finally an answer?
Twenty-five years Poecilia, a historic event. While in honor of this event, it was a symposium lecture on
the latest developments in the hobby. Through my association with the University of Amsterdam, I am
actively doing it itself. This time I could tell something about the Endler guppy, or rather, Endler's
Livebearers.
The story going around on the internet is as follows. In 1975, Dr. John Endler caught a fish near the city
Cumaná in Venezuela. He gave his fish to Dr. Don Rosen because he thought it was a new species. It
was a fish that occurred between other guppies (or rather, in the same lake but in a warmer place) but
could not cross with "common" guppies. In 1976 there where more fish caught the by Dr. Endler indicated
spot. Later it appeared more and more fish in the hobby. Interesting detail is that Dr. Rosen, meanwhile,
died of a brain tumor, the fish where now in the hands of a German researcher who immediately retired,
and also by Dr. Kallman (a major researcher in the genetics of Xiphophorus) gave it to NY Aquarium. It
seemed like there was a curse on the fish.
In the nineties, more and more pictures spread around of Poecilia spec. or Poecilia "Endleri" and I also
started my interest in this fish. The big question was: is it a variation of the common guppy or is it a
separate species? The guppy Itself is called the Poecilia reticulata, is from Venezuela and called for so
since 1859. Another type of Trinidad in 1866 was described as Girardinus guppii where the fish his
username owes. The species Lebistes poecilioides where the guppy since 1913 was seen related to its
genus name, well the name crashed inside the trashcan (when it comes to guppies). Since 1963,
moreover, officially called the guppy Poecilia reticulata normal again. That was the situation at the
moment I became involved.
In the scientific world I landed here and studied the fish in Cumaná and I maintained contact with several
people who were involved in that investigation. I didn't observe and sit still, so I asked a lot of material in
the UMMZ, the museum manages a large collection of preserved material. Dr. Endler had previously said
he had seen the fish there in one of the pots and I wanted to see it.
In 2000 it became clear that none of the studies in Cumaná would constitute a new species and with
renewed energy, I started working. Jar after jar was opened and the fish measured again, and rays by
rays, scale by scale, counted. There were also photographs of some specimens of which I thought
drawing was a bit suspicious. Unfortunately, the fish that came out Cumaná are "Ordinary" guppies, they
were prety useless. However, there were fish with the famous "Endler comma", a feature that many
aquarium fish had: a black blotch on the dorsal fin from the body back into the belly. But those fish did not
came from Cumaná ... Also Dr.. Endler mailed me that the last fish is not "his" fish. Unfortunately.
Throughout 2000 and 2001 had not been very successful, but more knowledge about the variation in
color pattern and size of the guppy.
How often does it happen that there comes a moment that you are feel down, you just sit in a dip and a
fresh one, with a fresh look at the case, offers a solution? Michael Kempkes was visiting and he
suggested to go to Venezuela to go over there and take a look, and search for the truth ourself. That was
a good idea and in a short time we had two return tickets to Venezuela in our pocket. What we saw
Campoma in 2002 in the region and the guppy which that we have described from there may be known:
Poecilia wingei the "Campoma guppy".
In 2004 a publication by Drs. Alexander and Breden which they enumerated the differences they found
were from many different guppypopulations, including those from Cumaná. Just three populations, from
the city and from locations other than where Dr.. Endler fish had been caught the fishes were larger and
had a different color pattern. And like me, they found that no reason for the fish to been seen as a
separate species to be classified.
Ironically, many people found it in 2005, a reason to call all Endler guppies Poecilia wingei after Michael
and I (together with Dr. Isbrucker of the University of Amsterdam) had suggested that the fish that Dr.
Endler had ever found an could be and released population Campoma guppies.

So far the history, then what have I done?
Later that year I went to America and I restudied guppypopulations from the collection of New York,
Chicago and Michigan. I discovered that there are areas where the differences between reticulata and
guppii not been signed and that the two "types" classification also crosses in nature. That's why I've
decided to study the guppies as two different subspecies: Poecilia reticulata reticulata and Poecilia
reticulata guppii. One of the intersections of different populations is at Cumaná, so I think the Endler
guppies are the result of ardent declarations of love from the tolerant multicultural maleguppies of the
three taxa that occur there.
When I was in Michigan, I also searched for the fishes from Dr. Endler they seen seems to have "his" fish
in a separate pot, which could be described as new species. And yes, hooray, there was a new
Micropoecilia present, described in 1940 but never published. There was the fish that Dr. Endler in
Cumaná had seen and it could not cross with guppies. It is quite possible that this new kind needs
warmer water, because Micropoecilia are simply different fish than guppies. What is now the
uncomfortable situation, Endler's guppies fish are not the same fish as Endler's Livebearers
====================================================================
(Important Notice from writer "Kevin van Dijk")
4 Taxa of Guppy's, genus Poecilia, subgenus Acanthophacelus:
•Poecilia reticulata reticulata Peters, 1859
•Poecilia reticulata guppii Gunter, 1894
•Poecilia wingei Poeser, Kempkes & Isbrucker, 2005
•Poecilia obscura Schories, Meyer & Schartl, 2008
6 Taxa of Micro's, genus Poecilia, subgenus Micropoecilia:
•Poecilia parae Eigenmann, 1894
•Poecilia branneri Eigenmann, 1894
•Poecilia bifurca Eigenmann, 1907
•Poecilia picta Regan, 1913
•Poecilia minima Costa & Sarraf, 1997
•Poecilia Endleri / Poecilia spec. . This one is "Endler's Livebearer" (Or in fact "Endler's micro")
So to split it up:
•Endler's Livebearer (ELB), Endler's "micro" = Poecilia (Micropoecilia) Endleri
•Campoma/Cumaná guppy or Endler's "guppy" = Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei - Poeser, Kemkes &
Isbrucker, 2005
====================================================================
.Fred N. Poeser mailed me back, after I questioned him about his rediscovering. (Translated version)
Good day Kevin,
In the collection of the Museum of Michigan (as told by Endler in several emails / statements), I only could
found a new Micropoecilia species to discover and therefore I think Endler's memory has played a game.
The "new guppy which he thought to find there is not in that collection.
However, the Campoma guppy was in the collection of Michigan, but Endler did not mention that one.
In 2005, Michael, Isaac and I described Campoma guppy as new species and the name P. wingei was
given.
In 2009 a German team investigated the Guppy of the eastern-Trinidad del. and described it as a new
species: P. obscura. During their investigation, they have the DNA of P. wingei compared with similar fish

from Cumana, and found that the DNA of the Campoma guppy was identical to the DNA of the so-called
from Cumana guppy. Endler.
In summary:
Poecilia reticulata, the first species described in 1859.
In 1975 Endler message that an "other" guppy in Cumana was swimming around. During this time the
guppies (Acanthophacelus) and the members of Micropoecilia (Micros) where of the same subgenus:
Lebistes.
In 2002 Isaac and I messaged (in a German magazine) that the Lebistes is not a good subgenus and
proposed to use Acanthophacelus of the subgenus of the guppy species.
Poecilia wingei is the second species described in 2005. We have in our article indicated that this might
be same as the Endler guppy from Cumana (Cumana although hundreds of kilometers away). We
propose that Acanthophacelus and Micropoecilia are DIFFERENT! subgenera.
In a lecture in 2006 (Mexico, will be published soon), I stated that the species P. reticulata contains two
subspecies of P. reticulata reticulata and P. r. guppii.
Poecilia obscura is the third species described in 2009. The new description of the german team confirms
that the Endler "guppy" from Cumana is identical with the Campoma "guppy", bot "Poecilia
(Acanthophacelus) wingei".
The Micropoecilia species John Endler probably meant is still waiting for a description.
Regards,
Fred
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Behavior of Campoma (Endler) guppy "Poecilia
(acanthophacelus) wingei"
Behavior, Instinctive and Sexual Selection
Differentiation within the two species, Campoma guppy and Common guppy (based on studies of several
professors and scholars and own knowledge)
Behavior patterns, and selection patterns I described herein, from personal knowledge and information
from Fred N. Poeser, Michael Kempkes, Isaac J. H. Isbrücker who have gathered from trips to Venezuela,
and co play from a previous excursion by M. Kempkes in 1993 and of course from several aquarium
observations.
Behavior of the Campoma (Endler) guppy
Also about the observations of Campoma guppy in the wild (the discovery)
The behavior of P. wingei is new to science and therefore I have described is quite extensive, even in this

I have used my own knowledge and information from the Articles of Poeser, Kempkes & Isbrücker from
Contributions to Zoology.
And I had the the opportunity the studie the fish Poeser originaly captured in Aguas dos Moisas. The fact
that I have this fish in my own aquaria made it possible for me to write this knowledge on paper and at
this website.
Males from the campoma guppy poulations are more often in groups than in the common guppy
populations. Very occasionally become a group of 3 accompanied by only one man. In groups with more
fishes, like more than 40 adult males work more intensively. In relatively small groups, from one to three
men and one to seven females, the males show less intense courtship behavior compared to larger
groups. In smaller groups it is not necessary to comply, because the females recognize the males more
individual. When a male doesn't belong to the subgroup and it acts strange and shows courtship behavior
to one of the females, the other males will chase to the intruder to stop his attempt. To atract females
males will let their glossy or brilliant colors shine into a position so that the female sees it (as the male is
clearly colored metallic colors will shine in the light). Men take the approach of the woman from behind,
preferably while she is busy searching food.
Mating
1 A male attempts to position itself among the women to place, while his darker color pattern if it is
successful.
2 The male will try to be visible in the face-to-face position.
3 He showed his colors and body. Then turn the male to the female.
4 Finally, while the male circling around the female, he tries to copulate with his forward-turned
gonopodium.
Difference in the mating behavior between the normal guppy and guppy Campoma
o The Campoma guppy males are more places from below by the female (often), the normal guppy more
often from behind or the side
o The (Endler) Campoma guppy females not really attack, and the males do not really hunt for the female.
Females float slowly to the men and show that they are cooperative. Women of the common Guppy often
make it clear in earlier stage whether or not copulate.
o The characteristic aggressive couples often do not take place in the Campoma guppy unlike the
common guppy.
o Aggression of females towards the males often find place at the Common guppy , which have never
been observed at the Campoma guppy (Endler). In general, the females of the guppy Campoma are more
cooperative and receptive, rejecting males takes place in a much later stage than in the common guppy
does.
o The Campoma guppy male is relatively docile. Tries more often to mate the same female.
o While competition is strong in large populations, males do not disrupt the mating process of other males.
The males in a large group show impressive behavior only occasionally. Male aggression is not relevant
for courtship in a large group.
o Males who deviate are called sneak-population, they skip the courtship and immediately try to mate the
female (raping).

(Location of Fred's observation)
The Campoma guppies can be found in a small stream of clear water in Las Aguas de Moises, along the
highway between Cariaco and Casanay ..
(Appearance of the area and life and coexist with other species)
The river is about 150 cm deep (the bottom is clearly visible), approximately 180 to 300 cm wide and no
submerged vegetation was observed, Poeser's observation area was a piece of about 40 meter. There
were a number of trees and dense vegetation at various positions with the bank. The Campoma Guppy is
alive with the following types: Catoprion spec., Crenicichla spec., Cichlasoma spec. Rivulus spec.
Ampullaria spec. And some still unidentified crustaceans.
Campoma guppy Population in Aquarium
Campoma guppy Population in Palludarium (although only the area and vegetation
is visable)

How acanthophacelus species appear in nature
Each strain has its own pattern on the color combinations and markings. A strain generally has the same
features, although a single strain has diversities ... regarding color patterns, body size, etc.. No man
appears to be the same. DNA carries the information of the fish and it does not change unless the strain
had an stranger within the population ... if not, then we speak about evolution by natural selection and
change in environment.
_____
Difference in the Gonopodium "Endlers vs Common
Guppy"
_________________________________________
Writers Note:
Attention!... this information is based on facts!, but the diversity of gonopodia form are endless. Not all

male members of one single species have the same gonopodium! Only the combination of DNA,
Gonopodium and Body Appearance sequencing can judge of the fish. But even then it's just an opinion! I
suggest you, take a look at "What is a species?"
_________________________________________
The full one, gonopodium is one of the Endler's guppy.
The end of the gonopodium is narrow and has only a few fin-rays and hooks. .
The gonopodium of a hybrid Endler Guppy and P. reticulata is a bit thicker and has more and longer fin

spines and hooks.
The (wildtype) Guppy (P. reticulata) has a strong thickening at the end of the gonopodium and also the
longest and most fin rays and hooks. .
Oropuche guppy "Poecilia
(acanthophacelus) obscura"
Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) obscura or Oropuche guppy, is a new guppy species found in freshwaters of
the Oropuche River system, North-eastern Trinidad.. The fish is most related to Common guppy (P.
reticulata) and P. wingei (Endler's guppy). P. obscura can cross with Common guppy P. reticulata, which
is observed at the laboratoria
Location
The species was found (which was confirmed by DNA sequencing) in the headwaters and upper regions
of the northern tributaries to the Oropuche River including the Quare River and La Seiva River. It was also
found in the Matura River, the Salybia /Rio Seco Rivers and the L’Ebranche River, which are not
tributaries to the Oropuche River but flow independently next north and south into the Atlantic Ocean at
the West Coast of Trinidad. The southern and northern boarder of the range of the new species have not
been determined exactly, but there are guppies in the Tompire River that flows north of the Matura River
and in the Mission River, which flows into the Caribbean Sea. Further west on the northern coastline all
the rivers that flow into the Caribbean Sea have no guppies until the Madamas River is reached. This
river belongs to the northwestern province, the guppies of which - according to the molecular phylogeny -
clearly are P. reticulata. The situation south of the L’Ebranche, wasn't observed jet.
To make clear where they do occur:
P. obscura (OR) Oropuche river (N 10° 43.052’; W 61° 8.871’) Road to Cumaca caves, locus typicus
P. obscura (O2) Oropuche, headwaters Laboratory strain “Oropuche 2”, established by D. Reznick
P. obscura (RS) Río Seco River Below Río Seco waterfall, at junction with Salybia River

P. obscura (Q6) Quare, below Hollis Reservoir Laboratory strain “Quare 6”, established by D. Reznick
P. obscura (Ma) Matura River tributary (N 10° 40.523’: W 61° 4.407’) 1 km north of road from Sangre
Grande to Matura
P. obscura (LE) L’Ebranche tributary (N 10° 30.528’; W 61° 4.204’) 3 km south of Upper Manzanilla, road
to Plum Milan
Natural Habitat
The Oropuche guppy "P. obscura" was collected from fast flowing small rivers and ditches with generally
clear waters. The species also occurs in downstream habitats. Thus it inhabits both so-called low and
high predation sites described in the guppy literature (see Magurran, 2005). The locus typicus (Picture
below) is a site in the headwaters of the Oropuche River. The river is here about 5 meters wide and fast
flowing with a maximum depth of 1 meter. The riverbed is gravel and sand with some larger rocks in the
middle. Submerse plants are absent, but the vegetation on the river banks focally reaches into the water
and provides shaded sections throughout most of the day.
Researchers noted that on 13-2-2008 (1 p.m., air temperature 25.5°C) the following parameters were
recorded: clear water, water temperature 22.5°C, hardness 5–10, conductivity 51 mS, pH 7, nitrate 0,
nitrite 0. Accompanying fishes were Rivulus hartii, Astyanax spec., Ancistrus spec. and small cichlids. The
inclusion of cichlids and characins defines the habitat as high predation site.
Why is it called, Oropuche guppy "P. obscura"
The name of the new species is derived from the latin word obscurus (hidden) because of its status as a
cryptic species. For the common name we propose to call P. obscura the Oropuche guppy due to its main
area of distribution.

Body appearance and Colours
Males and females with sex specific coloration (Picture Below, Fig. a,–c). Body color of adult females
grayish brown to yellow, fins hyaline. Body sides of adult males with red, blue, orange and yellow bright
pigment spots, some reflecting iridescent, usually with 1 to 3 rounded black spots, sometimes with a
series of irregularly thin and short or long brown or light black horizontal lines or with very short brown
vertical lines sometimes crossing the horizontal bars. The caudal fin base often shows a lower or upper
black spot surrounded by small dark and short dashes and yellow pigment, dorsal or ventral caudal fin
rays sometimes pigmented and rarely elongated over the caudal margin of the fin, forming a short
“sword”; dorsal fin often whitish, dark or polychromatic colored, sometimes flag-like elongated, all other
fins hyaline.
Male body coloration extremely polymorphic: in natural habitats no two males being alike.
The Guppies "Acanthophacelus"

Together with the "Common" Guppy ( Poecilia reticulata ) and the "Campoma" Guppy ( Poecilia wingei ),
the "Oropuche" Guppy ( Poecilia obscura ) represents the subgenus Acanthophacelus Eigenmann, 1907.
The "Guppy" is not alone in taxonomy anymore..
Look this file up on the net for further detail (mail science@olmaca.com):
Description of Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) obscura n. sp., (Teleostei: Poeciliidae), a new guppy
species from western Trinidad, with remarks on P. wingei and the status of the “Endler’s guppy”
(Zootaxa 2266 35-50)
http://olmaca.com/swampriverforest/genera/Poecilia_obscura.pdf

Best Regards,
Your Writer
"Kevin M.M. van Dijk"
________
Thanks for reading!
For further questions you can send an email to science@olmaca.com