Cobra Guppy

Looks how to spot one

Scales and fins

The Cobra Guppy is a selectively bred colour variety of the common guppy. Its defining feature is a dense network of vertical black or dark green bars along the flanks, with connected rosette or chain markings between them, continuing into the dorsal and tail fins. The base colour is usually metallic green, gold, red or silver. Males display the full pattern; females are mostly plain grey or greenish with at most a patterned tail. The tail is typically delta or fantail shaped, large but not as extreme as halfmoon lines. This pattern is distinct from the finer mesh of Lace types and from plain Snakeskin, which lacks the strong vertical barring.12

Personality what they are like

Cobra Guppies are peaceful, busy and always visible. Males constantly display to each other and court females with frantic swimming, but rarely cause harm. They are not aggressive and do well in community tanks with other small, non-nippy fish.12

Daily activity how busy a day looks

Moderate. They enjoy open swimming space near the surface with some planted cover below. A gentle to moderate filter flow is essential; strong currents exhaust the large-tailed males. A tight lid is necessary as guppies jump.152

Grooming and care the hands-on bits

Minimal. Regular partial water changes (25% weekly) and stable water parameters are important. Avoid sharp decor that could tear the large caudal fin. A sponge filter or gentle hang-on-back filter is ideal.12

Home where they are happiest

Minimum 10 gallons (40 L) for a trio; 20 gallons (75 L) recommended if breeding. Water temperature 18-28°C (64-82°F), pH 5.5-8.0, KH 10-30 dKH. Hard, stable water is essential, soft acidic water causes health problems. Provide moderate planting with open swimming areas and floating plants for fry cover. Gentle filtration and a tight lid are mandatory.152

Food basics what goes in the bowl

Omnivorous. Staple diet of high-quality micro-pellets or flake food, supplemented 2-3 times a week with live or frozen brine shrimp, daphnia, bloodworms and spirulina-based foods. A varied diet with vegetable matter keeps the metallic colours vibrant.152

Company who they like around

Peaceful shoaling fish. Keep in groups of at least 3, ideally with a ratio of 1 male to 2-3 females to prevent harassment. Suitable tankmates include neon tetras, ember tetras, corydoras, otocinclus, rasboras, snails and adult dwarf shrimp. Avoid fin-nippers such as tiger barbs, serpae tetras and bettas, which may attack the large fins. Not venomous, not protected, and legal to keep in most countries.12

The story where it all began

The Cobra Guppy is a man-made colour variety of the common guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Wild guppies from northeastern South America and Trinidad already show chaotic spots and iridescence. In the mid-20th century, breeders in Germany and the USA selected for a snakeskin pattern of fine metallic meshes. By intensifying the vertical barring and rosette markings, they created the Cobra strain. The pattern genes are largely Y-chromosome linked, so males pass the look directly to their sons, making the variety stable across generations. Today it is one of the most popular fancy guppy strains in the aquarium hobby.126

Recognised by the official bits

No formal breed registry; recognised as a popular fancy guppy strain by the aquarium hobby

Cobra is a standard colour/pattern variety of the domestic guppy, not a separate species or registered breed.6

Popularity Very popular among freshwater aquarium hobbyists; one of the most sought-after fancy guppy strains.15