Debbie Sneed, age 12, of Gastonia, n.c., for her question:
Where did guppies originate?
The tough little guppies are native of the new world, though nowadays we may find them at home in the streams of Borneo, Ceylon and many other faraway p1aces. On the island of Mauritius, the tiny emigrants proved unpopular. But everywhere else they soon became welcome allies in the warfare against the pesky mosquito.
Originally, the guppy fishes were found only in certain warm regions of south America and the west Indies. They enjoyed life in the fresh waters of streams and ditches and in the brackish coastal ponds of the northern part of south America, in Trinidad and the Barbados, Antigua. And some of the windward islands.
The first guppies to leave their native homes were taken to Germany in 1908 and named in honor of doctor guppy, a scientist of Trinidad. In 50 years, the tough little fish have made homes for thomse1ves in the island waters of Hawaii and Mauritius, Singapore and Ceylon, Borneo and Tahiti. In these and other widely separated places, the tiny travelers live in the wild state, much as they do at hearse.
We know the guppy best as the star of the tropical aquarium and, as a pet fish, he is to be found around the world. But he has qualities that make him valuable in the wild state. He lives on a diet of fish eggs and algae, but his favorite food is insect larvae most especially does he enjoy the water dwelling larvae of the mosquito.
Guppies are taken to warm, mosquito infested regions and let loose in the streams. There they devour countless hordes of these insect pests in the grub stage, before they can hatch into winged adults. This awns fewer mosquitoes for next season, for only the adult insect can produce eggs.
In some p1aces, guppies escaped from their aquariums and others were set free in local streams. As a rule, it is unwise to transplant an animal. To a new home since it may upset the local balance of nature. But the guppies became pests only in Mauritius where they dine on the eggs of a popular crayfish.
Mrs. Guppy is a lazy lady of silvery gray, perhaps one and a half inches long. Every month or so, she gives birth to a batch of ivied babies. There may be 20 to more than 200 youngsters in each batch, though the average number is 50. Mr. Guppy is only half as big as his wife but the little fellow sparkles with rainbow colors, and he is forever frisking through the water to attract the attention of his slow, silvery wife.