Poecilia wingei

Poecilia wingei, known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler's livebearer, in the genus Poecilia, is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are proficient breeders and often hybridize with guppies. These very colorful hybrids are the easiest to find being offered in pet-shops, typically under the name Endler's guppy. Poecilia wingei is a very colorful guppy species, similar to the fancy guppy often found in pet shops. The species was first collected from Laguna de Patos in Venezuela by Franklyn F. Bond in 1937, and rediscovered by Dr. John Endler in 1975. The latter were the first examples of this fish to make it to the aquarium trade. More have been collected since then, notably by Armando Pou, to expand the captive breeding stock. The original Laguna de Patos population is threatened by runoff from a municipal garbage dump. Though it is rare in pet shops, this species is seen occasionally in the aquaria of enthusiasts. Although not yet taken up into the IUCN Red List of endangered species, they are in danger of extinction in the wild, as humans enter their natural habitat, polluting and destroying it. According to Stan Shubel, the author of Aquarium Care for Fancy Guppies, the Endler guppy is, in fact, not a separate species; claiming it has the same genetic makeup as the common guppy, yet is given its own name, Poecilia wingei, for conservation purposes. However, in 2009 S. Schories, M. K. Meyer and M. Schartl published on the basis of molecular data that Poecilia wingei is a separated taxon at the species level from P. reticulata and P. obscura. In 2014 H. Alexander et al. published a paper that refutes the assertions and conclusions made by S. Schories et al. concerning the status of Poecilia wingei as a species. The first population of Poecilia to be given the name Poecilia wingei was discovered in 2005 in the Campoma region of Venezuela by Fred Poeser and Michael Kempkes. This population of Poecilia wingei can be found in Laguna Campoma and in the lagoon's connected streams. Most P. wingei from the Campoma region found in the hobby today are descended from those originally collected by Phil Voisin (Philderodez). The most popular collecting site in the Campoma region for P. wingei has been the Campoma bridge location. P. wingei phenotypes collected from the Campoma bridge location are identified by a numbering system from 1 through 70. Poecilia wingei from the Campoma region are also known as the Campoma guppy. Poecilia wingei from the Cumana region were originally known as the Endler's livebearer and were discovered in 1975 by John Endler and are found in Laguna Patos and in the lagoon's connected streams and canals. In 2009 the Schories et al. publication broadened the definition of P. wingei to include Endler's livebearer. Most P. wingei from the Cumana region found in the hobby today are descended from those collected by Armando Pau and were line bred and distributed to hobbyists by Adrian Hernandez (AdrianHD).