There are 2 main methods of mating displayed by the male guppy. They may perform a sigmoid display in which the body is held in an S-shape while the fins are extended and quivered. The male often leaps away by as much as 10 cm. A full sigmoid display lasts for several seconds.
Alternatively, males may attempt a sneaky or forced mating in which the female is approached sideways or from behind and the gonopodium is thrust towards her genital pore.
Females are sexually receptive only as virgins or for a few hours once a month following the birth of a brood.
Most non-virgin females ignore male displays and try to avoid sneaky mating attempts. Receptive females respond to a male’s advances by Gliding towards him.
Copulation is accompanied by Arching (in which the female moves close to the male, halts and raises her head and tail slightly) and Wheeling (in which both move round in a tight circle). When it is completed the male often jerks away and may cease sexual activity for 30 min or so.
Below shows some displayed behaviour while courting and copulating;
Preliminary courting activities;
Note :
P = Posturing male orients towards female’s head, but not with body in Signoid curve.
FS = Following Side male swims beside female.
FB = Following Behind male swims behind female.
BC = Biting Cloaca during Following Behind (see below) male bites female near the cloaca (genital pore).
Advanced courting activities;
Note :
SH = Sigmoid High intensity usually directed towards females. Male flexes his body into a strong “C” or “S” shape and vibrates rapidly. Male may be at various angles to female, or even facing away. Degree of intensity (ie. high, medium or low) can depend on either duration of amount of flex in the male’s body. Criterion for intensity should be given.
SL = Sigmoid Low intensity as above, but with either shorter duration or less flex in the male’s body.
Copulation attempt;
Note :
GT = Gonopodial Thrust male swing gonopodium toward female’s cloaca, without making contact.
GC = Gonopodial Contact male touches female’s cloaca briefly with his gonopodium (intromittent organ)
How soon can a pair of guppy start spawning?
Some male guppies will start developing sexual characteristics as early as three weeks, while on the average about 4 to 6 weeks.
Females at this time is best to be separated from the male (sexing them) before they start spawning. Young male guppies with strong sex drives can relentlessly chase females, often to exhaustion. If you are not sexing them, it’s best to maintain a 2:1 ratio (females to males).
How to tell if the female guppy is pregnant?
It is easy to tell if the female guppy is pregnant – signs of pregnancy are a large belly, a boxy-look from the front view, and a darker gravid spot. The obvious black “gravid” spot is where the fry’s eyes forming inside the mother, and this is just in front of her anal fin.
When delivery is near, the female will start having difficulties swimming due the weight of the developing fry. The female will also try to find a hiding place, and will probably start refusing to eat. If you watch them daily during feeding times, you should be able to notice that they may not be eating. Even though some females may appear to ingest food, if you watch carefully they may often spit it out again.
Below shows a 2.5 weeks pregnant female guppy:
Rear view of the gravid spot:
How long does a female guppy gets pregnant?
If you put a male and a virgin female together, as long as the male guppy successfully impregnant the female guppy, she will get pregnant. The gestation period is usually 28 days or 4 weeks.
Virgin females can be bred as early as six weeks and as late as fourteen months, depending on the strain and environmental conditions.
Most breeders recommend that virgin females be bred in the range of three to six months. If you keep the male and females separate, the female will grow bigger and stronger than females raised with males.
In my experience the guppy can get pregnant between 20-24 days after being hit by the males. But some will take a while to get pregnant specially if you don't observed your male. Be sure that all your males are good candidate for breeding.
How long will a female guppy takes to give birth?
Some female guppies will drop young within a couple of hours. Most female guppies will drop during the course of a day, starting early in the day. And a few may drop over a day and a half.
But i have experienced with some females taking a week to drop her fry in a drop tank or cage.
Some females will eat their own fry specialyl gold and albino strain. You may check if the female has eaten her own fries but examining the black fecal matter passed by the mother.
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