What Is The Difference Between Guppies And Endlers?

  • Dec 12, 2021
  • Rita
  •   11151        0      0

Are you wondering if you should get guppies or Endlers? It can be very confusing to distinguish between the two if you’re thinking of adding one of these species to your tank. 

To make the whole process a bit easier, look at the following differences:

Guppy VS Endler - What’s The Difference

Would you like to tell guppies and Endlers apart? Look at the following differences: 

Endler Guppy "Yellow Top Sword" | Dornenwolf | Flickr

Endler by Dornenwolf

Size

The most prominent difference between the species is size. Guppies are generally much larger than Endlers. Guppy females can grow to about 2.5 inches (6.35cm)long whereas the Endler females only reach around 1.8 inches (4.57cm). 

The male guppies usually reach around 1.5 inches (3.81cm)long and the Endler males only about 1 inch (2.54cm). 

Colors

Another prominent difference, at least on the male side, is the colors of the fish. Guppy males tend to have several blotches of color that range from orange, blue, silver to black, and a variety of other colors mixed in. Endler males have more set patterns that feature orange, black, and metallic green. 

The females are more reserved and harder to tell apart. Guppy females are very plain with the occasional color on the tail. Usually, their body color is gray or silvery gray. The caudal peduncle area of the female is also opaque. 

Endler females have a translucent peduncle area with a little less color on the tail. The body color is plain golden gray. 

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Guppy male and female - By Anton Melqkov - This is my own picture, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=63737381

Tail

The tail of the male Endler resembles that of the swordtails. It has a long spike that sticks out at the end. The male guppies usually have round tails that can be of different lengths. This makes it very easy to tell the males apart. 

It is a bit more tricky with the females. Generally, the female Endlers will have a small transparent tail whereas the guppy females have larger tails with a little bit of color on them. 

Gravid spot

The easiest way to tell female guppies from female Endlers is to look at the gravid spot. Female guppies have a larger gravid spot that goes further up the flanks. Female Endlers have a small gravid spot that doesn’t go as far up the flanks as the female guppies. 

Brood size

Guppies can have big broods. Generally, a female guppy can give birth to as many as 30 babies at once or even more. Female Endlers have much smaller broods and tend to give birth to a maximum of 15 babies at once. 

Gonopodium

The gonopodium on guppies is thick with several hooks, a large thick palp, and a rounded end. The Endlers only have one hook on their gonopodium with a much smaller pulp and a pointy end. 

Body shape

Generally, guppies are much stockier, especially at the caudal peduncle. Endlers tend to be much more slender with a thinner caudal peduncle. 

Final Thoughts

Now that you know the main differences between guppies and Endlers, it’s time to go buy your fish. Make sure to check the species as you select your fish since pet shop owners don’t always know the differences themselves. 

Happy fishkeeping!

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