Multi-Colored Strain

New Multis:   As defined by the IFGA standards, a multi-colored guppy is determined by three or more colors in the caudal fin.  The least prevalent color must be at least 15% of the the caudal color by surface area. You could have four colors or five as well, as long as three of the colors each were greater than 15% of the caudal surface area.  I had a very coarse patterned multi line for years, which I lost during a series of moves.  In the last year I used three lines to create a new line.  I used a fine a fine patterned snakeskin line and two different lines of a fish sometimes referred to a a Mosaic.  This is one of the males.  He took first place at the 2016 East Coast Guppy Assoc. show in the Multi class.

Some pictures of my old multi line.

Multis – I purchased these from an auction at a New York show in 1993.  They threw large fish with a very bold course pattern.  These have always been on of the hardiest and most fertile guppies in my fish room.  Presumably this is due to the diverse genetics required to produce the many colors and patterns in these fish.  Many of the males have body color markings that resemble those of wild-type guppies.  In 1999, the line produced a sport, a male with a very fine and distinct pattern.  I was able to capture that pattern and now carry the two lines of this strain, the coarse, bold pattern and fine variegated pattern.  Some females will produce both color types in the same drop of fry.  By line breeding the two strains, I am able to maintain and improve both lines.  The only outcross I have made with this line since 1993 was in 1997, I crossed them once to the gold MGO reds to increase the amount of red in them.  Red is still the least predominate color in these fish.  The females come in two colors, brightly colored caudals with streaks opf green, white, and red, and clear colored caudals. Recently, I have broken out a red bicolor and purple bicolor line from these fish.  Their genetic diversity and plasticity never cease to amaze me. These are one of my favorite lines of fish due to their variation in colors, hardiness and fecundity.