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Variety of Guppy

Snakeskin guppy

Poecilia reticulata

One of 9 varieties of Poecilia reticulata · See all varieties →

Also known as Red Snakeskin Platinum Guppy

FreshwaterBrackishFish

Snakeskin guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

Varieties · Poecilia reticulata

See all 9 →

Care at a glance

Temperature
64–82°F
18–28°C
pH
6.8–7.8
Adult size
2.4 in
6 cm
Minimum tank
13 gal
50 L
Temperament
Peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Beginner
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Very common
Family
Poeciliidae

Overview

Snakeskin is the fine chain-link or rosette mesh over the body. It is sold with a color and often a metallic word attached, as in Red Snakeskin Platinum. Only males carry the pattern, so females from the line look plain beside them. Coverage varies between farms, from gill plate to peduncle on some fish and only the back half on others.

In the wild

The pattern turns up occasionally in wild guppies but was fixed and named in domestic stock. M. Dzwillo worked out its genetics in 1959 and named the gene filigran, German for filigree. Hobby accounts say his stock likely traced to the German breeder Eduard Schmidt-Focke. The strains sold today are domestic lines built on that gene rather than wild fish.

Good to know

The snakeskin body gene sits on the Y chromosome in ordinary snakeskins. A male passes it to every son, so the line holds with little work. Lace-patterned snakeskins are reported as X-linked instead, though crossing-over makes that hard to pin down. Show standards ask for a continuous chain-link or rosette pattern covering at least 60 percent of the body.

Did you know

Snakeskin is one of the few fancy guppy patterns with a wild counterpart. The fine mesh shows up now and then in wild fish, which is why it drew breeder attention through the 1950s. The genetic work that followed at the end of that decade gave the pattern its formal name.

Weekly picks

Tank mates

Snakeskin guppy is a peaceful, social species that keeps to the middle. These picks share a community profile with it, are safe together in both directions, and overlap on water type, temperature and pH.

Check the full mix in the stocking calculator

Common questions

Is a Snakeskin guppy a different species from the Guppy?

No. A Snakeskin guppy is a variety of the Guppy, Poecilia reticulata, and it wants the same tank, water and food as the species.

What size tank does a Snakeskin guppy need?

A Snakeskin guppy needs at least 13 gal (50 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

How big does a Snakeskin guppy get?

An adult Snakeskin guppy reaches about 2.4 in (6 cm).

Related species