Endler's Livebearers were discovered in 1937 by Franklyn F. Bond, in northeastern Venezuela. Remaining unknown to anyone else, they were later rediscovered by John Endler in 1975. Endler's originate from Laguna de Patos, near Cumana in Venezuela. They are thought to be almost extinct in the wild due to pollution runoff from a local garbage dump. They have just recently been classified as a seperate species, Poecilia wingei, distinct from but related to guppies which are Poecilia reticulata. Endlers are small fish with the males being about 3/4 inch and females about 1 1/2 inch in length.
Care is quite simple and they are easy to maintain. They prefer hard water, pH of 7.0 to 8.0, and temperature of 78F to 80F, but they do well in almost any condition as they are very hardy. Their food requirements are like guppies: a good flake food supplemented with frozen brine shrimp or other high quality food. While many people claim they dont eat their young, they will, so a well planted tank is prefered for larger numbers of young to survive.
I sell Endler's Livebearers to the public through the following online sales sites:
My fish are registered with Endler's Livebearers Association of America as Wild Type (Class "N"). This registration is the only way that the true ancestory of the fish can be traced and genetic purity guaranteed. These fish are direct decendents of wild fish caught in Venezuela and brought back to the US in the late 1990's. They are colony bred, never crossed with guppies, and are are not linebred or inbred. These are not tiny fry as many people sell; the males have their color, and the females are mature enough to start bearing their own young within 1-2 months. Fish shipments are professionally packed with oxygen, in a styrofoam-lined box, with a heat pack if needed. I can ship either Priority Mail or Express Mail; I give a live delivery guarantee on Express Mail shipments (see specific auctions for details).
Registered with Florida Dept Of Agriculture #AQ3139116