What are the Most Rare Guppy Breeds?

Guppies are among the most popular freshwater fish in the aquarium hobby. And for many good reasons! They come in a huge variety of colors, patterns, and tail shapes. They’re also widely accessible.

You can find Guppies in most local pet shops for a pretty good price. But this isn’t true for all strains.

Some Guppies can cost dozens of dollars. Such fish are also extremely difficult to find. These are considered “rare Guppies”.

They’re extremely beautiful and coveted by many aquarists. But have you ever wondered “what makes them so special?” After all, they’re basically the same breed as regular Guppies.

That’s what we’re going to be talking about today! I’ll cover everything you need to know about these fish, including some examples of unique breeds, where to find them, and the general price range.

But first, let’s clarify the most important details…

What Makes Guppy Breeds Rare?

Some strains and breeds are rarer than others. We usually take this information for granted.

But have you ever wondered “What exactly makes some Guppies so special?” Well, there are three main factors that come into play:

– Accessibility

This is the most obvious reason why some Guppies are rarer than others. You simply can’t find certain breeds or strains of Guppies.

Not without some effort, at least. Combine the low availability with the high demand, and such fish become luxury items.

Such special varieties come with an expensive price tag and they’re not available in common stores. You’ll have to contact specialized breeders and sometimes, you’ll even have to import your fish from overseas.

– Selective breeding

Rare Guppies are unlike common varieties you can find in stores. Common Guppies come from “unknown” lineages and they have unstable traits.

You never know what you’re going to get when breeding these fish.

Rare Guppies, on the other hand, are selectively bread across multiple generations. Think of them like fish with a pedigree. Selective breeding is a long, expensive, and painstaking process. But it guarantees the breed is “pure” and has stable traits that are always expressed the same way.

On the flip side, this prolonged selective breeding results in less hardy fish. The common Guppies, although less spectacular, are usually sturdier thanks to their genetic diversity.

– Appearance

This is the final, but perhaps the most important factor. Appearance is THE reason why aquarists and breeders alike appreciate some breeds more than others. Rare Guppies are specifically bred to express certain traits you don’t see in regular strains.

This can include anything from body size, coloration, and patterns, to fin shape and size.

For example, solid color Guppies are rarer and more expensive than mixed-color ones. Certain colors are also rarer because they’re more difficult to achieve through breeding.

Rare Guppy colors include pure black, pure white, purple, green, and yellow. Rare Guppies also usually have long, flowing tails that closely resemble those of Betta fish.

5 Rare Guppy Breeds

Now you know what makes some Guppies so rare and special. But seeing is believing. Don’t take my word for it. Just take a look at these following breeds.

You’re guaranteed to fall in love instantly because these Guppies are unlike anything you’ve seen before!

Here are five rare and strikingly beautiful Guppies that we all wish we had in our aquariums:

– Moscow Guppies

Moscow Guppies get their name from their place of origin. This strain was developed in Russia sometime in the early 80s. Shortly after that, they were introduced to the US.

These Guppies are well-known thanks to their beautiful appearance. Of course, that doesn’t make them any less rare. Even now, one single specimen can cost you $50-100, depending on the strain and its traits.

These fish are selectively bred for size, fin length, and color. Moscow Guppies are slightly larger than regular Guppies.

Males reach up to 2 inches in length, while females grow up to 2.8 inches. Moscow Guppies have long, flowing fins, especially their tails and dorsal fin. The tail is usually either triangle or half-moon shaped.

Moscow Guppies also come in very rare and intense block colors. These fish are either pure purple, blue, black, or green.

Of these colors, green is the rarest and most difficult to achieve. But whatever the color, Moscow Guppies are going to be expensive!

– Yellow Metal Lace Guppy

To my knowledge, this strain of Guppy is usually imported from breeders in Thailand or Indonesia.

This is one of the many varieties of Lace Guppies out there. But its bright and unique color makes it one of the rarest. This breed gets its name from its silver scales and the unique pattern on its fins.

Yellow Metal Lace Guppies have a grey head and upper body with a metallic sheen. The lower half of its body, including its anal, dorsal, and caudal fins, is covered in an intricate yellow pattern.

The thin lines intertwine in such a way that they create a light, airy, lace-like appearance.

As you’d expect from a fancy Guppy, this breed has a long and wide tail, usually, fan or triangle shaped. It also has a considerable dorsal fin that’s usually half its body size.

The most unique part of its look is the bright yellow color. These colorful golden Guppies stand out against any background.

– Platinum Dumbo Ear Red Tail Guppy

Try saying this name out loud really fast. Now that’s a mouthful! But this very specific name couldn’t be more fitting! This Guppy looks exactly like it sounds.

It has a plain, silvery body with a metallic sheen. Its dorsal fin, back, and tail are also pure deep red or bright orange. The tail is either triangle or half-moon shaped, depending on the strain.

It’s called a “Dumbo Ear” due to its abnormally large pectoral fins. This Guppy’s pectoral fins are so wide that they look more like elephant ears (or bird wings). These fins are also a beautiful deep blue or purple color.

The contrast between the red and the blue makes this Guppy look like an exotic breed you’ve never seen before.

This Guppy also comes in a Mosaic variety with beautiful complex patterns on its tail and dorsal fins. If you’re interested in this breed, you can’t really be choosy about the variety you buy. Both strains are usually sold out at most online shops because very few breeders specialize in this Guppy fish.

– Full Platinum White Swallow Tail Guppy

This strain is also known as the “Albino Platinum White Swallow Tail Guppy”. It seems there’s a trend of fancy Guppies with long names.

Like the former Guppy on this list, the Swallow Guppy’s name is highly descriptive. What you see (or read) is what you get.

As you might already expect, this Guppy fish is completely white. Depending on the lighting, it might have a silvery or pale rosy sheen. It looks mesmerizing in a well-lit aquarium. Cold or blue light especially gives this Guppy a beautiful ghostly look.

While Guppies are well-known and appreciated for their bright colors and intricate patterns, the Albino Swallow Tail draws all the attention thanks to its simplicity.

This is a unique trait in Guppies, and very hard to achieve through selective breeding.

Let’s not forget the fins! This strain gets the name “Swallow Tail” from its unique caudal fin shape. This Guppy’s tail appears choppy with an overall triangle shape.

It also has multiple thin, long parts that stand out, similar to a Swallow’s tail. This is among the rarest tail shapes in Guppy fish.

– Crown Tail Guppy

When you first see this fish, you might think “Uh…Is it okay?” At least that was my initial reaction. You see, Crown Tail Guppies have a very unique fin shape that you might have never seen before.

It even beats the Crown Tail Betta fish. I don’t even know how you can achieve this through selective breeding, but here we are.

This Guppy’s dorsal and caudal fins are made up of multiple thin, wispy hair-like extensions. These “hairs” aren’t attached to one another at all. Instead, they sprout directly from the body.

It appears like most of the fish’s tail is missing, perhaps due to some freak accident. But I assure you, this fish is completely healthy!

This is exactly what the fins are supposed to look like. It’s a look, alright. With regards to coloring, there’s a lot of variety.

There are multiple strains of Crown Tail Guppies, including different varieties of Tuxedo Guppies, Snakeskin Guppies, and plain-colored Guppies.

Where Can You Buy Rare Guppy Breeds?

As you might expect, rare Guppies are very difficult to find. There aren’t a lot of breeders or retailers specializing in such strains. You can’t purchase such fish from a regular Petco or Petsmart store. So, what now?

You’ll have to purchase your Guppies online. You’ll have better luck finding some rare strains this way.

Albeit buying online and shipping your Guppies this way doesn’t come without risks! Most fish might die before arrival.

This is a common occurrence, especially if your package spends more than one day in transit. But depending on your location, you could receive your order very quickly.

This reduces the risk of Guppies dying.

There are a few online retailers you can use. I highly recommend the following websites:

• eBay.com
• LiveAquaria.com
• Aquariumfish.net

These retailers have a good reputation and they deliver a wide variety of Guppies to choose from. I could find some interesting breeds with just a couple of minutes of searching. Rare breeds like Moscow Guppies are the easiest to find.

But depending on the stock, you can find some very unique and beautiful strains. Know that some of the rarest breeds are usually imported from Indonesia, Thailand, or China.

The fish are usually out of stock, and you’ll have to monitor the pages often.

How Much do Rare Guppy Breeds Cost?

There’s no straightforward answer to this question. Truth be told, the price can vary quite a lot.

But the general range you can expect is anywhere between $20-100 per fish. There’s quite a difference between the prices, as you can see.

But even the cheapest rare Guppy is a lot more expensive than a regular Guppy. Regular Guppies cost between $0.10-3.0, depending on the “quality” of the fish.

As I’ve already mentioned in this article, the price will be on the lower or higher end, depending on factors such as strain, coloration, and patterns.

For example, some Fancy Guppies cost upwards of $20, but usually no more than $50. Electric Blue Guppies are also quite expensive, costing around $20 each.

Moscow Guppies, on the other hand, can cost anywhere between $40-100 per specimen.

The rarer and more beautiful the color, the more expensive the fish is going to be. Green Moscow Guppies are especially rare, so you can expect a higher price. Most other rare Guppies fall within the same $40-100 range.

Conclusion

Rare Guppies are specifically bred to express certain traits. These fish must be bred throughout multiple generations so these special traits become stable.

These can include anything from tail shape, body colors, patterns, and even fin size.

After this long and painstaking process, you’ll end up with Guppies that look nothing like the regular fish we’re used to.

Strains such as the Platinum Dumbo Ear Red Tail Guppy, the Full Platinum White Swallow Tail Guppy, or the Crown Tail Guppy are just some examples.

These fish, along with other rare Guppy breeds, are extremely difficult to find. The scarcity, combined with the high demand and the difficult breeding process, make these Guppies extremely expensive.

To get your hands on some of these unique fish, you’ll have to purchase from online retailers.