35+ Different Types of Guppies In The World ( with Beautiful Pictures )

Type of guppies – I’m sure you were very familiar with this ornamental fish. Widely distribute worldwide, Guppies can be easily found in any ornamental fish store or maybe you can find them live in the river, creek, swamp or lake near your house, especially if you live in tropical country.

Guppy species

According to the Encyclopedia of Britannica, guppies are part of Poeciliidae family which consist of three species including :

• Poecilia reticulata : Also known as Lebistes reticulatus, Fancy Guppy, Rainbow Fish or Millionfish, this is the most widely distributed guppies around the world. They are originated from South America.
• Poecilia wingei : Also know as Endler guppy, this species are rare to be found compare to Poecilia reticulata. They are fisrt discovered by Franklyn F. Bond in 1937 in Laguna de patos, Venezuela. This species could be hybridize with P. reticulata and yielded fertile descendants although fish breeder not recommend to do it.
• Micropoecilia picta : Also known as Swamp Guppy, Painted Puppy or Scarlet Livebearer, this species are originated from Central and South America. They are brackish fishwater species although they could normally live in freshwater.

An Overview of Different Types of Guppies

As Guppy popularity grows among breeders, there are a lot of different guppy type that have been developed by breeders through decades.

These type are also known as a “strain”. A guppy strain must have specific distinctive characteristic compare to another guppy strain. A guppy classification mainly based on :

• Color : this classification based on their fin color and their body color since both colors may differ.
• Pattern : this classification based on their tail and body pattern
• Fin type : there are several guppy classification based on their fin type. Most Guppies are classified based on their fin type, so this classification is the most common.

A) Guppy classification based on their colors

Guppies are available in almost every color. They coud have single solid color or combination of several colors.

Male guppies have more variable color compare to female guppies and you may noticing it in the first sight. And here we go to their classification.

• Metal guppies. Metal guppies have unique pigment cell called iridophores. These cell will secreted unique pigment that mimic their environment colors. This adaptation will help them to hide from their predator.
• Solid colored guppy. Yeah, judge by it’s name, this guppy just have one single dominant color in their body and/or fin. The most typical colors include reds, blues, yellows and recently the breeder developt black Moscow which have solid black colors.
• Albino guppies. The most indistungishable appearance from this guppy is their red eyes and their body-pigment which lack of black pigment melanin. The most typical colors of this guppies is white, yellows or reds.

1. Albino Guppy

The Albino Guppy has two distintive appearance; their red-glowing eyes and the absence of black pigment melanin. There are several guppies in this type including Red albino Delta and Tank class.

Albino delta guppy which has another colors will be classified as Any Other Class (AOC). Although they have special red eyes, but in other hand they also have a poor vision.

Maybe it’s the consequences of albino pigment in their eyes. So, the breeders suggest to place pregnant female separately to prevent their new born babies to be eaten by other ornamental fish.

2. AOC (Any Other Color) Guppy

The AOC color covers all guppy type which do not fit in any colors in the ICGA delta class colors.

3. AOC BiColor Guppy

This classification covers all bicolor types that do not fit in red or blue green bicolor classes. There are five criteria for a guppy to be classified as AOC Bicolro guppy :

(1) A bicolor guppy must have a base color.
(2) The secondary color must be at least 25% of their tail color
(3) Both base and the secondary color must be clearly different
(4) If they have third color, this color should not be more than 15%. If they have more 15%, this guppy will be classified as multi-colored guppy.
(5) And the last, the dorsal should have identic colors and apttern with the tail.

4. Blue Guppy

Implied by their name, this guppy has a solid blue color. The blue color may vary from sky blue into dark blue. Female usually have a blue highlight in their fins.

5. Blue Green BiColor Guppy

This guppy type could may come in several variation. The basic classification for this guppy include
(1) Blue, green, or blue–green should be the dominant color over the second color in the tail.
(2) the color and the pattern of dorsal and tail fin should be match
(3) Both base and the secondary color must be clearly different
(4) If they have third color, this color should not be more than 15%. If they have more 15%, this guppy will be classified as multi-colored guppy.

6. Half Black Blue Guppy

This type is the variation of Blue guppy with a half black body.

7. Bronze Guppy

The Bronze Guppy has at least 25% gold color in their body with black scales. This guppy considered as the variation of gold guppy.

For your information, Gold Guppy, based on IFGA rule, are guppy which have at least 25% genuine gold steel body color.

8. Half Black Red Guppy

This guppy basically are red guppy which has a half black trait. For the competition, 1 to 1 proportion of body to tail length is preferred yet it’s very rare.

9. Half Black Pastel Guppy

This guppy has a half black body with any pastel solid color in their caudal tail, except for yellow color.

The most common variation is half black guppy with white pastel caudal fin color. This guppy should be handled carefully since the color of their caudal fin could be affected by their daily food.

10. Green Guppy

This type is quite difficult to be develop so they have a high price and high demand in the market. Most of them usually have their green color mixed with blue iridescence. Female strain may show green haighlight in their fins.

11. Half Black Green Guppy

Similiar with green guppy, Half Black Green Guppy are difficult to be attained. Basically, they are green guppy with a half black body.

12. Black Guppy

As implied by it’s name, black guppy are guppy which has solid black color in their body and their caudal fin. The best black guppy should have completely black solid color from the body to their tail, but it’s quite difficult.

The more bigger their body, the more less solid black color covered their body and the more variation between their body and dorsl fin.

13. Half Black AOC Guppy

This type consist of guppy which has half black body guppy but cannot be classified as a black class or any other half black color class.

14. Yellow Guppy

As implied by it’s name, this guppy has a dominant yellow color in their body and their fins.

It’s quite difficult to obtain this guppy, so their entrance in the show bench are very interesting to see. Most yellow guppy are genetically blonde to reduce black gene domination to attain a cleaner looking fish.

15. Half Black Yellow Guppy

This type has black body with bright yellow tail color. Similiar to other yellow guppy, this type is quite difficult to maintain.

16. Multi Guppy

I think this type is the most familiar guppy. The multicolor guppy should have 3 or more distinct color that are distributed in their caudal fin.

To be classiffied as a color, the color must have at least 15% area in the caudal fin. The dorsal should also match to their caudal fin in the color and the pattern.

17. Purple Guppy

This guppy type has a strong solid purple color in their dorsal and caudal fin.

18. Half Black Purple Guppy

This type basically a purple guppy which has a half black body color.

19. Red Guppy

As implied by it’s name, this guppy has dominant solid red color in their body and their fins. There are several variation in their body include gray, gold and albino.

Clear red color of this guppy could by attained by minimizing or eliminating black melanin gene trait. The red guppy usually have a large body.

20. Red BiColor Guppy

The red bicolor guppy basically are red guppy with several color variation in their body and their fins. There are several citeria for red guppy including :

(1) The secondary color in the tail at least coveres 25% of it’s tail area.
(2) the color and the pattern of dorsal and tail fin should be match
(3) Both base and the secondary color must be clearly different
(4) If they have third color, this color should not be more than 15%. If they have more 15%, this guppy will be classified as multi-colored guppy.

21. Females Guppy

Sometimes, female guppy have an anttractive fin color and large finnage. To compete in the IFGA female class, guppy must have a gravid spot in their tails.

B) Guppy Classification based on their Pattern

Besides of their color, guppy classification could be also assesed by their body pattern. Their pattern could be found in their fins and body. And her, we will show you several guppy classification based on their pattern.

Body Patterns

Snakeskin Guppies

They have vertical pattern over their base body color with individual rosettes may places randomly through their body. Sometime, their strip are similiar with a tiger strips.

Cobra Guppies

This type has vertical stripes which mixed with rosettes.

Tuxedo Guppies

Tuxedo guppy has two different body color between their front and their back body. The light upper body color and the darker lower body color may resemble of a tuxedo suit.

Tail Patterns

Leopard tail

The spots pattern in their caudal fins are similiar to leopard spots.

Grass tails

This pattern is the finner version of leopard tail. This guppy are called Grass tail beacuse of their tiny dots that resemble of a grass seed.

Mosaic tails

This type is made up of several spot that somehow connected each other which create irregular pattern.

Lace

Their tail consist of a fine web tail-like pattern. This pattern often to be found in guppy which has snakeskin pattern in their body.

C) Guppy Classification Based On Their Fin Type

For many decades, the breeder have performed selective breeding which result in the development of a number of distinct tail types of Guppy. And here some of guppy classification based on their fin type.

Fan Tail Guppy

Also know as a fancy guppies, they have a fan-shaped tails.

Delta/Triangle Tail Guppy

This type have a triangle-shaped tail type. Basically, they should have al least 70 degree opened tail when it’s flared.

Veil Tail Guppy

Veil tail guppy should has an isosceles triangle- tail shape with 45o on each their angle.

Flag Tail Guppy

Flag tail guppy has a rectangle-shaped tail which looks like flying as a flag.

Fire Tail Guppy

They has an orange to reddish color in the edge of their tail which resemble of a fire light.

Lyre Tail Guppy

Their tail is the combination between double swords and delta tail guppy.

Pin/Needle Tail Guppy

Both of their dorsal and caudal fin have sharp needle tip-like.

Spear Tail Guppy

Also known with their point-middle prolongation in their caudal fin.

Round Tail Guppy

As implied by it’s name, they have a rounded shape of caudal fin.

#Red Eye Guppies

Most of guppies have a dark eyes, except for certain type. There are two type of guppy which have a red eye

• Real Red Eye (RRE) : these are non-albino guppy that literally have red eyes. Most of them are born with small shaped body. Now, the breeder are working to develop the bigger version of RRE.
• Real red Eye Albino : These guppies are actually albino which lack of melanin pigmen in their eyes. Their eyes are look paler than RRE guppy.

A Guppy for everyone

Yeah, now you know that guppies are classified into so many type based on their color, tail and their body pattern. Guppies are easy to care, so dont be hestitate to try keep them as your lovely pets.

Below there are some photos of guppy fish that are very beautiful.

Keyword: Different Types of Guppies