Mosquitofish Genetics

Hello everybody, I have been raising a lot of mosquito fishes this past year, and I have some questions about them and their genetics:

1. They have produced a lot of new generations, and I heard that sometimes you get a dalmatian mutant, and I am really hoping to get two so I can breed them and get some more dalmatian strains. How common is this and is there anything I can do to get them to have dalmatian offspring? And if anyone has any can you post some pictures?
2. What is the lowest they can do in the wintertime? It gets to freezing where I live and they are in a 55-gallon outdoor tank- what size heater would be good for this and should I get a condensation cover to help hold the heat in?
3. Are there any other "mutant" varieties that can come from regular mosquito fish offspring?
4. Some of mine have different markings, like black stripes across the eyes, or black specks on their tails/fins/bodies. If these are selected and bred will I have a better chance of getting mutant varieties?

Thank you everyone!

 

Well the black speckles are very common.I myself have just started to try to hybridize them with guppy's to make a cold tolerant hardyer fish (hopefully with some color in them) to increase you're chances for a dalmatian you can go out and try to catch one or you can buy some and breed them together. A heater would be ok if you want. Keep us posted
BTW I would like to see the a photo of the tank with the fish. Hope you do get Dalmatians

 

Sure! The tank is all brown because of some driftwood tannins, so it's kind of hard to see. I have been looking at a strange, fully-aquatic plant and I will post some pictures later if you want to Id it.

 

Ok, thanks I will see if I can.

 

In northern Florida, the black spotted Gambusia males would show up in the hottest weather, usually July or August, but then vanish in the fall and winter. I used to collect a number of them at this time of year around Jacksonville, FL. However, I am told that there are certain locations further south that have spotted fish year round, and populations of these are being kept by livebearer specialists. There are lines that have been bred to produce nearly black males, and heavily spotted females.

Samanta.r , Gambusia and Guppies are genetically incompatible, despite the general similarities of the females. You will not get any hybrid young, just fry from stored spermatophores.

 

They will not cross breed? I thought they would. Well that's ok.thanks for letting me know.