Snakeskin Guppy
Poecilia reticulata
About this strain
Snakeskins carry an intricate chain-link or lace rosette pattern across both body and fins, resembling the cross-section scales of a python or boa. The patterning should be tight and continuous — spanning from the flank into the tail and dorsal — with good contrast between the pattern and the background color. Background colors vary from silver and gold to green, but the defining characteristic is always the pattern, not the base color. Snakeskin is also a recognized genetic locus, and crossing it into other strains creates the lace patterning seen in many modern fancy varieties.
Origin
Snakeskin as a defined genetic strain was recognized and named largely through Southeast Asian and Japanese breeding programs in the 1980s. It is now classified as a distinct pattern gene in guppy genetics.