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The guppy (also known as the millionfish) is a small colourful species of freshwater tropical fish that is found naturally in the rivers and lakes of South America. There are nearly 300 different types of guppy spread throughout Barbados, Brazil, Guyana, Netherlands Antilles, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

The guppy is one of the most popular types of aquarium tropical fish in the world as they are small, colourful and easier to keep than many other species of fish. The guppy generally lives from 3 to 5 years old in captivity and slightly less in the wild.

The guppy has been introduced to most other countries mainly as a method of mosquito prevention as the guppy eats the mosquito larva before they are able to fly, therefore slowing down the spread of malaria.

The guppy is an extremely colourful fish and often displays elaborate patterns on it's tail fin. The female guppy and the male guppy can be identified quite easily as the female guppy has a small, patterned tail where the tail of the mail guppy is much longer and generally has fewer markings. The female guppy also tends to be larger in size than the male guppy.

The guppy gives birth to live young, meaning that the eggs are first incubated inside the female guppy and hatch there too. The incubation period of the guppy is about a month after which the female guppy can give birth to up to 100 baby guppies, which are called fry. As soon as they are born, the guppy fry are able to eat and swim around freely. The guppy fry are also able to sense and avoid danger which is important when around older guppies as they often eat the fry. The guppy fry have matured in adult guppies within a couple of months.

After mating just once with a male guppy, the female guppy is able to give birth numerous times. The female guppy stores the sperm of the male guppy inside her and just hours after giving birth to her fry, the female guppy is ready to become pregnant again and will do so using the stored sperm (hence why the guppy is often called the millionfish).

The guppy is an omnivorous animal and eats a wide range of organic matter that is available in the water. The guppy mainly feeds on algae and brine shrimp, and often eat particles of food from the water that have been left by a larger fish.

The guppy has many natural predators in the wild (and in tanks) mainly due to their small size and their elaborate fins often attract unwanted attention. Birds such as kingfishers and larger fish are the primary predators of the guppy, so naturally, guppies that are kept in a tank should be kept with other very small fish to prevent them from being eaten.

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Guppy Facts

Kingdom: A level of classifying all living things on earth, as similar species are broken into 5 groups including plants, animals and fungi....	Animalia
Phylum: A level of classifying animals within the animal kingdom. Phylum are further divided into subgroups called classes....	Chordata
Class: A level of classifying animals in a phylum. Classes are then sub-divided into further groups known as orders....	Actinopterygii
Order: A level used to classify animals. Classes are broken into sub-groups known as order, which are broken down further into families....	Cyprinodontiformes
Family: A level of classifying animals within an order. Orders are broken down in families and families are broken down further into smaller groups called genus....	Poeciliidae
Genus: A level of classifying animals within a family. Families are divided into sub-groups called genus which generally contain one or two animal species....	Poecilia

Common Name:	Guppy
Scientific Name:	Poecilia Reticulata
Origin:	South America
Diet:	Omnivore
Size (L):	4cm - 7.6cm (1.5in - 3in)
Water Type:	Fresh
Optimum pH Level:	5.0 - 7.0
Life Span:	2 - 4 years
Conservation Status: The conservation status of a species is an indicator of the likelihood of that species remaining extant either in the present day or the near future. Many factors are taken into account when assessing the conservation s...	Least Concern

Skin Type:	Scales
Favourite Food:	Algae
Habitat: The term habitat is used to describe a specific area where a particular animal lives, within an environment. Many animals have adapted to requiring specific conditions which can only be found in their natural habitat su...	Rivers in the Amazon
Average Clutch Size:	80
Main Prey: When an animal is referred to prey, it means that the animal is either hunted or caught for food. Animals that are referred to as prey are generally hunted by bigger animals, although there are a number of exceptions....	Algae, Shrimp, Fish
Predators: When an animal is referred to as a predator, it means that the animal either hunts or catches other animals. Predatory animals are generally dominant within their environment and will generally hunt animals smaller than...	Fish, Birds, Mammals
Distinctive Features:	Brightly coloured body and fins and give birth to live young

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