This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Enceladus (talk | contribs) at 04:24, 23 November 2003 (corrected the fact that the Guppy never carried the Space Shuttle). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 04:24, 23 November 2003 by Enceladus (talk | contribs) (corrected the fact that the Guppy never carried the Space Shuttle)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)| Guppy | |||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scientific Classification | |||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||
| Binomial name | |||||||||||||||
| Poecilia reticulata |
The guppy, alternatively guppie (Poecilia reticulata) is one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species in the world. It is a small member of the Poecilidae family (females 3cm, males 2cm) and is therefore live-bearing. It prefers hard water and can withstand a surprising degree of salinity. Its most famous characteristic is its propensity for breeding.
The female guppy is a drab brown in colour. The much smaller male naturally has a colourful caudal fin (tailfin), which has been considerably enhanced in shape and colour by selective breeding.
The species originates in the Yucatan peninsula, but has escaped from captivity and lives in a feral condition in much of the warmer regions of the world. It has been introduced to some areas to keep down the mosquito population and fight malaria.
A Guppy is also an extremely large wide-bodied aeroplane that is used to transport parts for other aeroplanes and smaller rocket stages (ie the third stage of the Saturn V).
Guppy in reference to U.S. conventional diesel/electric submarines refers to Greater Underwater Propulsion Power conversion. This conversion installed more powerful smaller batteries and involved changes to the hull streamlining and diving control surfaces to effect greater speed underwater.