Why we have Guppies and not Peters

Wilhelm Karl Hartwig Peters (1815-1883) was a German naturalist and explorer, who, in 1859, described fish he discovered in Venezuela, which are now known as guppies [1,2]. Seven years later, the lawyer and naturalist Robert John Lechmere Guppy (1836-1916) spotted these colorful, tiny fish in Trinidad. The German-born Brirtish ichthyologist, herpetologist and taxonomist Albert Karl Ludwig Gotthilf Günther (1830-1914), who received specimens sent by Guppy from Trinidad, named the to him new fish species Girardinus guppii to honor Mr. Guppy—not knowing that the scientific name Poecilia reticulata was already given to the species Peters had found in Venezuela [3]. The name Guppy became very common in many languages around the world.

Helen Scales summarizes the guppy naming history as follows [4]:

They were named after an Englishman, Robert Guppy. He came across the species 150 years ago, although he wasn't in fact the first person to find them. A few years earlier they'd been spotted by German explorer Wilhelm Peters. But it was Mr Guppy who brought these little fish to the attention of the English-speaking world, which is why we now have Guppies and not Peters.

In a footnote, Helen Scales explains [4]:

The Guppy's scientific name has shifted over the years, with various synonyms rejected in favour of Poecilia reticuata.

Guppies are also referred to by using other common names including millionfish and rainbow fish.

Note: The English plural form for the word “guppy” is “guppies,” as used above. In German, the plural form “Guppys” is used (Singular: “der Guppy”, Plural: “die Guppys”).

 

Keywords: zoology, ichthyology, history.

References and more to explore

[1] J. Wei. Guppy History. December 28, 2016. Website: http://www.fancyguppy.net/guppy-history/.

[2]  Aqualog: Plauderei über Guppys. January 27, 2020. Website: https://www.aqualog.de/blog/plauderei-ueber-guppys/.

[3] Guppy, Robert John Lechmere. Biography of R. Guppy. Website: https://www.conchology.be/?t=9001&id=19981.

[4] Helen Scales. Eye of the Shoal. Bloomsbury Sigma, 50 Bedford Square, London, UK, 2020; page 108.