Guppies have been a favorite of hobby breeders for decades and many different types have been developed through the years. These “types” are also referred to as “strains” by hobby breeders when a particular set of characteristics begins to breed true. When you begin to mix and match all the possible characteristics that are found in these fish, it’s easy to understand why there is such an incredible variety to choose from. Aside from the fact that guppies are sexually dimorphic, which means you can tell the males and females apart just by looking at them, there are three major characteristics that distinguish one type of guppy from the next.
- Color – This includes body color as well as fin color, since both might be different.
- Pattern – This includes body pattern as well as tail pattern since both can vary.
- Fin type – There are many distinct fin types which you can view in the chart below.