Poecilia sphenops
| Molly | |
|---|---|
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| Male molly | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Actinopterygii |
| Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
| Family: | Poeciliidae |
| Genus: | Poecilia |
| Species: | P. sphenops
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| Binomial name | |
| Poecilia sphenops (Valenciennes, 1846)
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| Synonyms[2] | |
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Synonymy
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Poecilia sphenops, called the molly[1][2] or Mexican molly,[2] is a poeciliid fish inhabiting freshwater streams and coastal brackish waters from Mexico to El Salvador and Honduras[1] to Colombia.[2]
P. sphenops occurs in both the Atlantic and Pacific slope of Mexico and the northern parts of Central America.[3] On the Atlantic side it ranges from the Palma Sola River in the north to the basin of the Coatzacoalcos River and the headwaters of the Grijalva River in the south. On the Pacific slope it is distributed from the middle of the Río Verde basin in the state of Oaxaca to western Honduras and northern Guatemala.[4][5] P. sphenops frequently occurs together with P. mexicana, but in short coastal streams the former tends to occupy upstream and the latter downstream habitats.[5]
P. sphenops inhabits freshwater and brackish habitats,[3] with typical habitats including rivers, ponds, lagoons, roadside ditches, and creeks. [5] It is particularly widespread in creeks, and may be found in both lowlands and uplands. It occurs in stagnant water as well as in waters with slight and moderate flow. Such waters may be clear, turbid, or muddy. The habitats may feature substrates of marl, clay, silt, mud (which is often deep), rock or bedrock. Some of the habitats are devoid of vegetation, while in others algae (e.g. Chara) and plants such as Lemna, Nasturtium, fine-leaved Potamogeton, Sagittaria, and Typha species are abundant.[5] Algae and diatoms form a significant part of the diet of P. sphenops.[5]
P. sphenops survives in temperatures ranging from 10.8–11.8°C to 38.8–39.5°C when acclimated in a range of 20–35°C.[6] Young fish have been captured from January to August, indicating that the species reproduces throughout much of the year. In rivers the adults congregate close to the banks, while the fry stay in very shallow water.[5]
Poecilia sphenops can grow to 7.5 cm (3.0 in) standard length.[2]
References
[edit]
- ^ a b c Matamoros, W.A. (2019). "Poecilia sphenops". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T191753A2002434. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T191753A2002434.en. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
- ^ a b c d e Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Poecilia sphenops". FishBase. June 2024 version.
- ^ a b Palacios, Maura; Voelker, Gary; Arias Rodriguez, Lenin; Mateos, Mariana; Tobler, Michael (2016). "Phylogenetic analyses of the subgenus Mollienesia (Poecilia, Poeciliidae, Teleostei) reveal taxonomic inconsistencies, cryptic biodiversity, and spatio-temporal aspects of diversification in Middle America". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 103: 230–244. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2016.07.025. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
- ^ Bagley, Justin C.; Alda, Fernando; Breitman, M. Florencia; Bermingham, Eldredge; van den Berghe, Eric P.; Johnson, Jerald B. (2015-04-07). "Assessing Species Boundaries Using Multilocus Species Delimitation in a Morphologically Conserved Group of Neotropical Freshwater Fishes, the Poecilia sphenops Species Complex (Poeciliidae)". PLOS ONE. 10 (4): e0121139. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0121139. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4388586. PMID 25849959.
- ^ a b c d e f Miller, R.R.; Minckley, W.L.; Norris, S.M. (2005). Freshwater Fishes of México. University of Chicago Press. pp. 238–239. ISBN 978-0-226-52604-1. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
- ^ Hernández-Rodríguez, Mónica; Bückle-Ramirez, L. Fernando (2010). "Preference, tolerance and resistance responses of Poecilia sphenops Valenciennes, 1846 (Pisces: Poeciliidae) to thermal fluctuations". Latin American Journal of Aquatic Research. 38 (3): 427–437. doi:10.3856/vol38-issue3-fulltext-7. ISSN 0718-560X.