Because the Endlers Livebearer so easily breeds with guppies and perhaps other livebearers it was important to create a system to help ensure the preservation of the pure form of the species.
Classifications of Endlers were developed by Guy Smith and was accepted by the Endler community at that time. The following is a description of the various Endlers classifications.
The Three Classifications of Endlers Livebearers
Class N: (Documented Pure Strain)
“Any Endlers Livebearer (and progeny) that can be shown to have originated from their native waters in Venezuela and has not had their genetics contaminated by hybridization.”
In order for an Endlers Livebearer to be classified as N Class careful records must be kept to show the direct link to the wild Endlers Collected in Venezuela.
Our Orchid Endler Stock was purchased directly from AdrianHD who is the developer of the Orchid strain of Endlers Livebearers who received them from Armando Pau who collected them in Venezuela.
Class K: (Hybrid Strain)
“The progeny of any Endlers Live-bearer crossed with any other live-bearer or any hybrid strain.”
There have been many beautiful hybrid strains developed by tropical fish hobbyists. Some of the most popular hybrids at this time are Tiger Endlers, Yellow Jacket Endlers and Paradise Endlers.
While these are beautiful fish, they are not pure wild varieties of Endlers.
Class P: (Appears to be Pure But Has No documentation)
“Any fish of unknown origin but appearing to be an Endlers Livebearer based on the characteristics of size, shape and color.”
This is the classification that many Endlers Livebearers that are available today fall under although many are offered as N Class.
Because it is so difficult to document the origination of the Endlers to those that came directly from Venezuela the much of the “pure” stock kept by hobbyists today should be are considered P Class.
Often fish offered for sale as N Class Endlers are really Class P Endlers due to the lack of documentation of the Endlers origin.
Many of the images of Endlers we’ve seen on the internet advertised as Class N are actually appear to be hybrids and should probably be classified as Class K.
Even if the Endler’s shown are pure wild stock Endler’s Livebearers, they should be listed as P Class Endler’s if there is no documentation that can trace the fish back to class N Endler’s.
What actual documentation is required for proof of true “N”Class?
To put it quite simply, aside from genetic testing, there is no actual proof. The classification system is simply a method used to help those breeders who wish to keep pure Endlers to have a method to trace where their Endlers came from.
The definition of an N Class Endler is simple. Any Endlers Livebearer (and progeny) that can be shown to have originated from their native waters in Venezuela.
The issue is trying to show that they originated from their native waters in Venezuela. This is one of the reasons we offer a Breeder/Keeper registry. This registry basically gives our customers a “link in the chain” showing the path that their Endlers took back to their origination to their native waters in Venezuela.
Without such documentation it would be impossible to Breeders to show where their Endlers came from.
If an Endler looks like a pure Endler however their is no way to show where they came from then they should be considered P Class. Any fish of unknown origin but appearing to be an Endler’s Livebearer based on the characteristics of size, shape and color.
In Europe there is a similar classification system however my understanding is that it works a little bit differently. Rather than showing the origination of the Endlers, Breeders themselves are registered as Breeders of N Class Endlers.