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Poecilia
''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to living in waters that contain high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide () and a population of '' P. mexicana'' lives in caves (other populations of this species are surface-living). Some common and widespread species are often kept as aquarium fish, while other have very small ranges and are seriously threatened. Species in ''Poecilia'' are called ''mollies'' (e. g. '' P. sphenops'') or ''guppies'' (e. g. '' P. reticulata'') depending on body shape. '' Micropoecilia'' has been proposed to be included as a subgenus of ''Poecilia''. Taxonomy and etymology ''Poecilia'' was first proposed as a genus in 1801 by the German naturalists Marcus Elieser Bloch and Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider when the described '' Poecilia vivipara'' as a new sp ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poecilia Wingei
''Poecilia wingei'', known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler's livebearer, in the genus ''Poecilia'', is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are prolific breeders and often hybridize with guppy, guppies. These very colorful hybrids are the easiest to find being offered in pet-shops, typically under the name Endler's guppy. History ''Poecilia wingei'' is a very colorful guppy species, similar to the fancy guppy often found in pet shops. The species was first collected from Laguna de Patos in Venezuela by Franklyn F. Bond in 1937, and rediscovered by Dr. John Endler in 1975. The latter were the first examples of this fish to make it to the aquarium trade. More have been collected since then, notably by Armando Pou, to expand the captive breeding stock. The original Laguna de Patos population is threatened by runoff from a municipal garbage dump. Though it is rare in Pet store, pet shops, this species is seen occasionally in the aquaria of enthusiasts. In 2 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poecilia Sphenops
''Poecilia sphenops'', called the Mexican molly or simply the molly, is a species of poeciliid fish from Central America. It was once understood as a widespread species with numerous local variants ranging from Mexico to Venezuela, but these variants are today considered distinct species belonging to the ''P. sphenops'' complex and ''P. sphenops'' itself as being native to Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras. Due in part to its popularity as an aquarium fish, the species has been introduced outside of its native range, but many records may in fact refer to '' P. mexicana'' or other species from the complex. ''P. sphenops'' has been crossbred with other mollies, notably '' P. latipinna'' and '' P. velifera'', to produce fancy mollies for the ornamental fish trade. Taxonomy ''P. sphenops'' is placed in the subgenus ''Mollienesia'' (mollies) according to the prevailing taxonomic classification of species within the genus ''Poecilia'', and more precisely within the shortfin molly clade, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poecilia Vivipara
''Poecilia vivipara'', sometimes called the southern molly, is a small euryhaline livebearer fish distributed along the Atlantic coast of South America. It is most frequently found in standing brackish water. It has been introduced outside its native range to mosquito control, control mosquito populations and is occasionally kept in home aquariums. Taxonomy ''P. vivipara'' belongs to the ''Poecilia'' subgenus of the genus ''Poecilia'' and is the type species of the genus. The species most closely related to it are ''Poecilia parae, P. parae'' and ''Poecilia picta, P. picta'', which belong to the ''Micropoecilia'' subgenus. Description ''P. vivipara'' is a small poeciliid, normally growing to a size of 2–5 cm. The maximum recorded total length is 7.8 cm. Individuals from habitats with higher water salinity tend to grow faster and larger, and these differences in growth patterns are partly heritable. A factor in the size difference between freshwater populations and other popula ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sailfin Molly
The sailfin molly (''Poecilia latipinna'') is a livebearer fish typically found in both freshwater and brackish waterways along the East Coast of the United States, from North Carolina south to Florida, and around the Gulf of Mexico The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ... to Texas, and south to the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. Given their preference for more brackish water conditions, mollies are often found within just a few yards or miles of the ocean, inhabiting coastal estuaries, lagoons, river deltas and swamps, as well as Tide, tidal areas (such as mangrove swamps) with a regular inflow of oceanic minerals and nutrients mixing with inland freshwater sources. Taxonomy The sailfin molly was originally described in 1821 as ''Mollienesia latipinna'' by the naturalist ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poecilia Mexicana
''Poecilia mexicana'', commonly known as the shortfin molly or Atlantic molly, is a species of poeciliid fish native to fresh and brackish water in Mexico and Guatemala. One population is found in caves and known as the cave molly. Description The maximum standard length of this fish is . It typically grows to a total length . Distribution and habitat The fish lives in tropical freshwater and brackish water habitats. The shortfin molly is considered benthopelagic. It lives in a pH range between 7.0 and 7.5 at temperatures between 22 and 28 degrees Celsius. The species does not migrate. It is an invasive species in the Muddy River of Nevada, USA. Ecology Speciation In two case studies in Cueva del Azufre and Cueva Luna Azufre in Tabasco, Mexico, the Atlantic molly is experiencing speciation. It is occurring between cave and surface populations as well as between habitats of varying sulfur concentrations. Human significance The fishing industry has no interest in harvesting t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Micropoecilia
''Micropoecilia'' is a genus of poeciliids native to fresh and brackish water from the Amazon Basin to Trinidad. While recognized as valid by FishBase, others have considered this genus as being synonymous with ''Poecilia''. Species There are currently four recognized species in this genus: * '' Micropoecilia bifurca'' ( C. H. Eigenmann, 1909) * '' Micropoecilia branneri'' ( C. H. Eigenmann, 1894) (Branner's livebearer) * '' Micropoecilia minima'' ( W. J. E. M. Costa & Sarraf, 1997) Related species * '' Micropoecilia parae'' ( C. H. Eigenmann, 1894) (Melanzona guppy) * '' Micropoecilia picta'' ( Regan, 1913) (Swamp guppy) The type species of the genus is '' Micropoecilia parae'' but this is not included within the genus by Fishbase but other workers have recovered this species within the subgenus ''Micropoecilia'' of ''Poecilia'', arguing that ''Micropoecilia'', alongside the subgenera '' Acanthophacelus'', ''Limia'', '' Pamphorichthys'' and ''Mollienesia'' should all be retai ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Poeciliidae
Poeciliidae are a Family (biology), family of freshwater ray-finned fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, Poecilia, molly, Platy (fish), platy, and Green swordtail, swordtail. The original distribution of the family was the Southeastern United States to north of Río de la Plata, Argentina. Due to release of aquarium specimens and the widespread use of species of the genera ''Poecilia'' and ''Gambusia'' for mosquito control, though, introduced poeciliids can today be found in all tropical and subtropical areas of the world. In addition, ''Poecilia'' and ''Gambusia'' specimens have been identified in hot springs pools as far north as Banff, Alberta. Live-bearing All species in the Poecilidae are live-bearers. Differences are seen in the mode and degree of support the female gives the developing larvae. Many members of the family Poeciliidae are considered to be lecithotrophic (the mother prov ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Livebearers
Livebearers are fish that retain their eggs inside the body and give birth to live, free-swimming young. They are especially prized by aquarium owners. Among aquarium fish, livebearers are nearly all members of the family Poeciliidae and include: guppy, molly, platy, endler’s and swordtails. The advantages of livebearing to the aquarist are that the newborn juvenile fish are larger than newly-hatched fry, have a lower chance of mortality and are easier to care for. Unusual livebearers include seahorses and pipefish, where the males care for the young, and certain cichlids that are mouthbrooders, with the parent incubating the eggs in the buccal cavity. Common aquarium livebearers Species of interest to aquarists are almost always members of the family Poeciliidae, most commonly guppies, mollies, platies, swordtails, Endler's livebearer, and mosquitofish. Most of these are ovoviviparous, with the developing embryos receiving no nourishment from the parent fish, but a fe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Euryhaline
Euryhaline organisms are able to adapt to a wide range of salinities. An example of a euryhaline fish is the short-finned molly, '' Poecilia sphenops'', which can live in fresh water, brackish water, or salt water. The green crab ('' Carcinus maenas'') is an example of a euryhaline invertebrate that can live in salt and brackish water. Euryhaline organisms are commonly found in habitats such as estuaries and tide pools where the salinity changes regularly. However, some organisms are euryhaline because their life cycle involves migration between freshwater and marine environments, as is the case with salmon and eels. The opposite of euryhaline organisms are stenohaline ones, which can only survive within a narrow range of salinities. Most freshwater organisms are stenohaline, and will die in seawater, and similarly most marine organisms are stenohaline, and cannot live in fresh water. Osmoregulation Osmoregulation is the active process by which an organism maintains its ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hydrogen Sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is toxic, corrosive, and flammable. Trace amounts in ambient atmosphere have a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. Swedish chemist Carl Wilhelm Scheele is credited with having discovered the chemical composition of purified hydrogen sulfide in 1777. Hydrogen sulfide is toxic to humans and most other animals by inhibiting cellular respiration in a manner similar to hydrogen cyanide. When it is inhaled or its salts are ingested in high amounts, damage to organs occurs rapidly with symptoms ranging from breathing difficulties to convulsions and death. Despite this, the human body produces small amounts of this sulfide and its mineral salts, and uses it as a signalling molecule. Hydrogen sulfide is often produced from the microbial breakdown of organic matter in the absence of oxygen, such as in swamps and sewers; this process is commonly known as anaerobic digestio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
