Guppy
The
guppy, alternatively
guppie (
Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular
freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the
Poecilidae family (females 3 centimetres long, males 2 centimetres long) and is therefore
live-bearing. It prefers a
hard water aquarium and can withstand a surprising degree of
salinity. Its most famous characteristic is its propensity for breeding.
The female guppy is a drab brown in colour. The much smaller male naturally has a colourful caudal fin (tailfin), which has been considerably enhanced in shape and colour by
selective breeding.
Dr. R. Guppy discovered this tiny fish in
Trinidad in
1866, but it has escaped from captivity and lives in a feral condition in much of the warmer regions of the world. It has been introduced to some areas to keep down the
mosquito population and fight
malaria.
This fish has been introduced to the
Netherlands were it lives in the cooling water of the
Corus Steelmill near
IJmuiden. The result has been extraodinary; the fish thrive and have increased in size. Fishes of 12 cm are the norm.
Over time, many species are assigned a different
taxonomic name. The guppy is no exception:\n*Lebistes reticulatus \n*Acanthocephalus guppii \n*A. reticulatus\n*Girardinus guppii \n*G. petersi\n*G. poeciloides\n*G. reticulatus\n*Haridichthys reticulatus\n*Heterandria guppyi\n*Lebistes poecilioides\n*Poecilia poeciloides\n*Poecilioides reticulatus.\n*For now:
Poecilia reticulata
References
\n*"Poecilia reticulata." FishBase. ed. Froese, R. and D. Pauly (04/2004), URL: Poecilia reticulata\n*"Poecilia reticulata."
ITIS Standard Report. (
Integrated Taxonomic Information System: National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C., 2004-06-08). URL:
ITIS 165903\n----\nThe
Guppy aircraft are a series of extremely large wide-bodied aeroplanes that are used to transport oversize cargo, most notably parts for other aeroplanes and smaller rocket stages (ie the third stage of the
Saturn V). See Pregnant Guppy,
Mini Guppy, and
Super Guppy.\n----\nThe
acronym GUPPY in reference to U.S. conventional diesel/electric submarines stands for the
Greater Underwater Propulsion Power Program. This series of conversions installed more powerful smaller batteries and involved changes to the hull streamlining and diving control surfaces to effect greater speed underwater.\n----\n"Guppy" is also a contemporary
slang term referring to "gay yuppy", implying someone who is overly ambitious in their professional pursuits and highly conscious of maintaining an impeccable image as a slick, modern, urban man.
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