Guppy with strange spine

[Fernando M.]

Hi,
I just happen to have find a female guppy in my tank with a strange
shaped spine, it seems as if she had a little hump on her back and,
from above, the spine doesn't not seem very straight, it seems more
like an "S"... :(

I've had heard than breeding guppies could have sometimes these
results, as the couple with their brothers or families. Although, i was
in the process of taking appart males and females, buying another tank
(their numbers start to grow too much), so that i can couple them as i
wish.

Has anybody more info on "strange shaped" guppies? This one is a female
and i don't want her to breed (and she is probably pregnant), i'm
thinking on taking her appart from the tank, or worse... :(

[NetMax]

"Fernando M." > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi,
> I just happen to have find a female guppy in my tank with a strange
> shaped spine, it seems as if she had a little hump on her back and,
> from above, the spine doesn't not seem very straight, it seems more
> like an "S"... :(
>
> I've had heard than breeding guppies could have sometimes these
> results, as the couple with their brothers or families. Although, i was
> in the process of taking appart males and females, buying another tank
> (their numbers start to grow too much), so that i can couple them as i
> wish.
>
> Has anybody more info on "strange shaped" guppies? This one is a female
> and i don't want her to breed (and she is probably pregnant), i'm
> thinking on taking her appart from the tank, or worse... :(
>

Age, vitamin deficiency, lack of sunlight, genetics, mutation... etc are
some of the various causes I've heard of. While the trait might not be
directly genetic (% of fry born the same way), there might be an indirect
genetic linkage making them more susceptible to this characteristic, so
ordinarily, she would be removed from the gene pool, and yes, she is
pregnant (they are almost always preggers ;~).
--
www.NetMax.tk

[Daniel Morrow]

"Fernando M." > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Hi,
> I just happen to have find a female guppy in my tank with a strange
> shaped spine, it seems as if she had a little hump on her back and,
> from above, the spine doesn't not seem very straight, it seems more
> like an "S"... :(
>
> I've had heard than breeding guppies could have sometimes these
> results, as the couple with their brothers or families. Although, i was
> in the process of taking appart males and females, buying another tank
> (their numbers start to grow too much), so that i can couple them as i
> wish.
>
> Has anybody more info on "strange shaped" guppies? This one is a female
> and i don't want her to breed (and she is probably pregnant), i'm
> thinking on taking her appart from the tank, or worse... :(
>

In my opinion the spinal abnormality is possibly caused by having recently
given birth. My pregnant females seem to get a spine in the shape of an arch
when seen from the side after they have given birth. I don't think the
s-shaped spine as seen from above is normal though. Tough decision - I would
give her some time to recover from giving birth and see if the spine returns
to normal. Good luck, and later!

[Fernando M.]

Hi,

I should add it is a young female. I'm nearly certain that it hasn't
given birth and it would be a birth defect or grow problem...

Thanks