Moscow Purple Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
About this strain
The rarest of the three classic Moscow variants, Moscow Purples display a deep violet to blue-purple iridescence across the body and fins. The purple hue is notoriously difficult to stabilize — many specimens drift toward blue under standard lighting and only show true purple under specific spectrum conditions. Selecting under both natural daylight and aquarium LEDs helps confirm authentic coloration. A genuinely purple Moscow is a trophy fish; most labeled as such lean blue-purple at best. Breeding true Purples demands strict culling and careful mate selection from established lines.
Origin
An extension of the Moscow breeding programs originating in Russia, with subsequent refinement by European show breeders. The purple variant remains less standardized than blue or green.