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Fish profile · Poeciliidae
Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
A livebearing fish native to northeastern South America and the Caribbean. Aquarium strains come in many colours and tail shapes; males are generally smaller and more colourful than females, and mixed groups reproduce readily.
Last reviewed 26 October 2026 · 6 sources
- Max length
- 5 cm
- IUCN
- LC
- Least Concern
- In Malaysia
- Invasive
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- order Cyprinodontiformes
Category from the IUCN Red List, via GBIF (CC BY 4.0); it may lag the latest Red List assessment.
How big?
Linear scale · hand 18 cm
Up to 5 cm.
Where in Malaysia
19 open-licence records · GBIF
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- Recorded (open records)
Recorded in Pulau Pinang, Pahang, Sabah, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, and Sarawak. Based on 19 open-licence records on GBIF. Few records can mean few surveys, not few fish.
How to identify
- Males have colourful dorsal and tail fins.
- Females are larger and usually less colourful.
- The male anal fin is narrow and rod-shaped rather than fan-shaped.
Habitat
- Diet
- Algae and small aquatic insects in the wild; aquarium fish accept varied small foods.
- Native range
- Northeastern South America and the Caribbean.
Aquarium care
- Minimum tank
- 20 L
- Temperature
- 23–27°C
- pH
- 7–8
- Temperament
- Peaceful
Sources
Last reviewed 26 October 2026