(Top) Male and (bottom) female guppies (Lebistes reticulatus)
Colourful, freshwater, live-bearing topminnows (
Lebistes reticulatus and
Poecilia reticulata; see killifish) popular as pets in home aquariums. Guppies are hardy, energetic, easily kept, and prolific. The male, smaller and much more brightly coloured than the female, grows to about 1.5 in. (4 cm). Guppies have been bred in various ornate strains characterized by colour or pattern and by shape and size of the tail and dorsal fins.
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Encyclopedia Britannica, 2008. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
