Poecilia wingei, known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler’s livebearer, in the genus Poecilia, is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are prolific breeders and often hybridize with guppies. These very colorful hybrids are the easiest to find being offered in pet-shops, typically under the name Endler’s guppy.
Franklyn F. Bond first collected Endler’s Livebearer during the 1930s in warmer harder water than many other livebearers who usually prefer cooler water temperatures. Later during the 1970s, Professor John A. Endler collected the Poecilia sp. in Venezuela’s northeastern part in the Laguna de Patos. The Endler’s Livebearer didn’t receive its common name until the 1980’s when colleague Dr. Kallman introduced the “Endler’s Livebearer” or “Endler’s Guppy” to the German aquarium community.
A classification system has been created so that the type of Endler’s and the origin is easily distinguishable to hobbyists. Any Endler’s Livebearer can be traced to their native waters in Venezuela is considered ‘Class N’ Endler. Any Endler’s Livebearer of unknown origin appearing to be an Endler’s Livebearer based on its size, shape, and color will be considered ‘Class P’ Endler. Any Endler’s Livebearer crossed with any other livebearer will be regarded as ‘Class K’ Endler.
Over the years, the Endler’s Livebearers may have been hybridized to some degree with other livebearers (such as Fancy Guppies) to achieve the brilliant and unique colorations. As “Class K Endler’s.” The closest to the “True” Endler’s Livebearer offered is the Red Flame Endler’s Livebearer. Endler’s Livebearers are becoming more common in the hobby and gaining popularity thanks to their wild, psychedelic coloration and ease of care.
Endler’s Livebearer Summary Care Guide
Scientific Name: Poecilia wingei
Common Names: Endler’s Livebearer, Endler’s Guppy
Color: Black, Green, Orange, Red
Care Level: Easy, suitable for freshwater aquarium fish beginners.
Size: 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm)
pH: 5.5 – 8
Temperature: 64°F – 82°F (20°C – 28°C)
Water Hardness: 10° to 30° dH,
Guppy Lifespan: 2 years to 3 years
Origin / Habitat: Laguna de Patos in Venezuela
Temperament / Behavior: This is a peaceful and hardy fish that is good for beginners.
Tank Size: 10 gallons or larger.
Compatible Tank Mates: Many, given their peaceful nature.
Diet / Fish Food: Give flakes, freeze-dried and live foods. Vary their diet for optimum colors and health.
Tank Region: Middle to top
Gender: Easy to determine. The male will have larger, more colorful tails than the female.
They remain tiny in the aquarium – males grow to about 2.5 centimeters long, while females grow to about 4.5 centimeters. They typically live for about two to three years in captivity, although some live longer. On the other hand, for females, life is shorter: giving birth very often can cause them to die.
Care of Endlers in the aquarium
Endlers are easy fish to handle, even for novice aquarists. The Endler’s Livebearer requires an aquarium with at least 20 gallons of water and is very tolerant of changing aquarium conditions. Hoever bigger is better, This is for two main reasons: they love to swim and, just like guppies, they have a very prolific nature.
Plants should be hardy varieties such as Java Fern and Java Moss to handle the increased hardness in the aquarium. Other peaceful fish would make good tank mates. If you want to give him tenants, corydoras, barbus, and ancistrus, they will be the perfect companions. They should never be kept with other guppy species, as they would mate and “mix” the species.
Feeding
The Endler’s Livebearer is an omnivore and requires both algae-based foods as well as meaty foods. An algae-based flake food, along with freeze-dried bloodworms, tubifex, and brine shrimp, will provide guppies with the proper nutrition. A varied diet will help them have an excellent quality of life. They should be fed 2-3 times a day in small quantities.
Breeding
The reproduction of endlers, like guppies, is very simple. If kept in good condition, they may breed every 20-24 days.
Females are larger, cream colored, round in the belly. Males are small, colorful and slender.
Furthermore, it is better to have a higher ratio between females and males to avoid being too much “attention” from males.
The male Poecilia wingei will try to reproduce continuously with the females and have more females in the tank. You will ensure that none are stressed to the limits of the impossible.
A good ratio is around one male for every three females.
Even though most Endlers are less “fiery” towards young people, it’s still better to move the fry to another tank.
Unless your aquarium is heavily planted, and the floating plants, along with the others, can provide the right shelter for newcomers. However, don’t worry. Endler fry grows very quickly (when fed 4-5 times a day). Within 3-5 weeks, you will be able to bathe them with the adults.
If you are not interested in breeding, the best way is to buy only male fish.
Hybrids
Hybrids with the common guppy are especially diverse. Endlers ( P. wingei ) can be crossed with guppy species ( P. reticulata , P. obscura guppies), and the hybrid offspring will be fertile. This is believed to dilute the gene pool and thus is avoided by fish breeders who wish to keep the strains pure. Avid hobbyists keep registry records to ensure their Endlers are purebred; Undocumented fish sold in pet stores as Endler’s life carriers are assumed to have some degree of guppy hybridization. Furthermore, since P. reticulata has been found in the same water bodies as P. wingei, natural hybridization can occur naturally. Hybridization with fancy strains of guppies ( selectively bred P. reticulata ) often produces bright, colorful offspring. This has led to some hybrids being selectively selected on their own. They have become so common that they can be sold under various names such as peacock, snake, tiger, paradise, fantasy, or Endler sword and sometimes as a fire tail.
Ref: wiki/Poecilia_wingei