Gambusia-guppy

Hi all, as I told in my first topic I'm from Italy. Talking with a friend he told me that in south of Italy (I mean Puglia region in this case) he was able to collect not only gambusia but also wild guppies (I knew they were introduced before gambusia but the text I could read about this topic reports that all the wild guppies populations in italy are exctinted since many years). Well he also told me that he don't think they're true guppies, he think that they are crossbreed between gambusia and guppies. I'm doubtful about that..is it possible?

I've never seen a cross breed between the Gambusia and  guppy.

Genetically they are quite different, so if you did get fry from a crodssing, I would think they would be sterial, and no fry will be produced.

Alan

Thank for your quick reply... that's what I think. In the wild is not possible that such think occurs for so many years cause if u want to have such hybrids (and I'm not sure is possible even to obtain steril specimens)... u have to find both gambusia and guppies live together cause as u told any possible crossbreed would be surely steril.
Diego

These two species can not hybridize.
About the topic: Are you aware that there should be wild Poecilia latipinna in Italy?
It would be interesting to see them. I find the species very difficult to keep and breed unless they are pond kept. then they tolerate down to 7C without problems (Texas strain). So there should be many places in Italy where they could survive.
Martin
www.emys.dk

Hi Martin, well...I don't have ever heard of wild italian populations of Poecilia latipinna. This guy that told me he obtain the hybrids (but I don't believe him until he pass me a scientific test about that) found only a guppy population. The guppys were introduced earlier than gambusia but all the wild populations (specially in sicily and south italy) were tought exctinted after the introduction of the mosquito fishes.
Regards Diego

Aniway I'll try to collect some infos about possible wild latipinnas!
Diego