Guppies; In Uk Waters?

[DaspriceyParticipant]

Hi all,

i was just looking around fishbase. Looks like guppies have been introduced into the UK and surviving?

I’m quite surprised at that!

I can’t send a direct link to it so if you go into fishbase, the under “Information by Country / Island ” chose united kingdom, then click freshwater, it’s on the second page.

Anyone heard of this?

[MattKeymaster]

I used to collect guppies from a canal near Chorley when I was a kid. There was an outflow from a factory there that made a section of the canal permanently warm and they were breeding like rabbits.

#313438

[David MarshallParticipant]

Hey

We have an ‘exclusive’, and fascinating, article about ‘feral Guppies in the U.K.’, that was written by Jonathan Downes, in Issue 4 of The Aquarium Gazette. This Issue is still available, either on disc (PDF or Word) or through our direct e-mail (PDF only) service.

Without giving to much away the first recorded population was in the River Lea. The biggest colony was in the St. Helens Canal (is that were you fished Matt?).

Regards David

[Mark DuffillParticipant]

I remember going fishing with my Dad as a youngster and catching guppies with a net from a pond him and his mate used to fish.

There were bitterlings in there as well as bullhead catfish and pumpkinseeds.

Some of the female guppies that you could catch were over 2.5″ but really aggressive.

[mickthefishParticipant]

i fished at the canal in ST Helens behind pinkertons glass factory David.
fish caught was oscars, angels the biggest swordtails,black mollies and guppies i’ve ever seen it was brilliant.

mick

[David MarshallParticipant]

Thanks Mick

Regards David

[DaspriceyParticipant]

Thanks for the info guys!!!

I assume this is the fancy type rather than the wild type?

Dave

[geordie JohnParticipant]

Hi,
I had Guppies over winter ,2007 -08, in my pond . I think this winter has finnished them off though I’ve just seen a small koi which I thought hadnt made it either ! I’ll keep watching.
All the best,
John

[David MarshallParticipant]

Hey

A friend has passed onto me a press cutting from the ‘Daily Mirror’ of 27/03/09. A schoolboy found a Plecostomus species in the Grand Union Canal near Wigston (Leics.). Sadly the poor fish was dead but how long it had survived in the Canal was, of course, unknown. Another sad case of aquarium fish release.

Regards David

[DaspriceyParticipant]

QUOTE (David Marshall @ Jun 20 2009, 10:23 PM) < {POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hey

A friend has passed onto me a press cutting from the ‘Daily Mirror’ of 27/03/09. A schoolboy found a Plecostomus species in the Grand Union Canal near Wigston (Leics.). Sadly the poor fish was dead but how long it had survived in the Canal was, of course, unknown. Another sad case of aquarium fish release.

Regards David

I read that too. It’s sad to see.

#314259

[Chris GreenParticipant]

As Mick said St Helens Canal in St Helens town centre had a thriving population of Tropical fish that were said to have been introduced when a shop in the area had a fire. Pilkingtons Glass used to use the water from the canal as part of their cooling system. This water came back into the canal piping hot and until a few years back you could regularly catch some good sized fish especially Oscars.
As A youngster I used to see lots of livebearer fry and caught a few different livebearer species in various nets and tubs.

They have netted all the fish out now but you can still see some Terrapins on and around the canal in places.

[Author]

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