When Bill Allen’s uncle Bobby from Lafayette Louisiana heard that he had a new ten gallon aquarium, he had to buy him a few fish.  After putting them in the tank, Bobby said, “Da guy at da sto ’said dat da big black one gonna have babies”. Sure enough, in a few days the big black molly delivered about a dozen babies which were placed in a smaller plastic container. And so began Bill’s life-long fascination with tropical fish in general and livebearers in particular.

Presently Bill has a fish room of about 50 tanks, specializing in fancy platies and swordtails along with a few guppies, mollies, and some more exotic wild livebearers. After retiring from teaching after 20 years, he began “Mr. Bill’s Fish”, an aquarium maintenance company. His clients include “Blue Southern Comfort Foods”, a Shreveport Louisiana restaurant. Their 55 gallon tank contains breeding populations of Xiphophorus nezahualcoyotl, “Tiger” limias (possibly a new unnamed species), and the extinct-in-the-wild “Tequila goodeids” (Zoogoneticus tequila), along with information to educate any interested patrons.

Bill has also served as the editor for the “Journal” of the American Livebearer Society and has had articles on livebearers published in “Freshwater and Marine Aquariums”, “Tropical Fish Hobbyist”, and “Aquarium” magazines. He has also discovered what appears to be the most northern population of wild sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) in Shreveport and Bossier City Louisiana and has published information on these fish.

In addition to his published articles, Bill has presented programs at several American Livebearer Association conventions, the Southeast Louisiana Aquarium Society, and the Northeast Council of Aquarium Societies.

In addition to his interest in fish Bill is also a musician. He has performed with groups as diverse as the Shreveport Symphony (bassoon) to soul legend Percy “When a Man Loves a Woman” Sledge (keys and saxophone).  He also performs with The Sultans, a local oldies cover band (bass guitar).

Bill’s topics at the Convention will be “Livebearers – They’re Not Just for Feeders Anymore”… He also plans to jam on guitar in the Hospitality Room until thrown out.

“Mr. Bill” Allen is sponsored by Louisiana Fish Store.

Links

How Dr. Joanne Norton Helped Me Pass Algebra (TFH, May 2007)

Tres Amigos: Three Texas Livebearing Fishes (TFH, May 2008)

Beyond the Community: Species-Only and Colony Tanks (TFH, February, 2009)

Magnificent Mollies (TFH, May 2012)