The western mosquitofish is a North American freshwater poeciliid fish, also known commonly, if ambiguously, as simply mosquitofish or by its generic name, Gambusia, or by the common name gambezi. Its sister species, the eastern mosquitofish is also referred to by these names.
Gambusia is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae. Gambusia contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in brackish or saltwater habitats. The genus Gambusia comes from the Cuban term, "Gambusino", which means "free-lance miner". The type species is the Cuban gambusia, G. punctata. The greatest species richness is in Mexico, Texas, and the Greater Antilles, but species are also found elsewhere in the eastern and southern United States, the Bahamas, Central America, and Colombia. Gambusia species are often called topminnows, or simply gambusias; they are also known as mosquitofish, which, however, refers more specifically to two species, G. affinis and G. holbrooki, which are often introduced into ponds to eat mosquito larvae. As a consequence, they have been introduced widely outside their native range, and frequently become invasive, threatening local species. G. affinis and G. holbrooki are now established in many parts of the world and are likely to continue to spread as climatic conditions change. They are only occasionally kept in aquariums, due to their relative lack of color and the highly aggressive nature of the aforementioned mosquitofish species.
Limia is a genus of livebearing fishes belonging to the Cyprinodontiform family Poeciliidae. It comprises 22 described species found in fresh, brackish, saltwater, and hypersaline habitats of the Greater Antilles islands in the Caribbean Sea. A vast majority are endemic to Hispaniola. There has been a long-running debate on whether Limia should be considered a subgenus of Poecilia rather than a full genus. Most Limia species are detrivores and herbivores. Due to their small size and coloring, they are sometimes kept in home aquaria.
The Spanish toothcarp, also known as the Spanish toothcarp or Iberian killifish, is a small, endemic species of fish in the family Aphaniidae. Its risk of extinction is one of the greatest of any Iberian vertebrate. Its limited range, coupled with the drastic population decline the species has suffered in the last two decades, has caused it to be placed on endangered species lists, both in Spain and internationally. In addition, habitat fragmentation, likely due to humans, has resulted in this species becoming increasingly stagnant and has led to increased genetic drift. Also found to be contributing to their endangerment was genetic diversity of mitochondrial DNA. The mitochondrial DNA coupled with A. iberus’s geographic distribution has been able to affect their population genetic structure gradually in different spaces. Its conservation status in the south of the Iberian Peninsula has notably worsened.
The humpbacked limia or black-barred limia is a critically endangered species of poeciliid fish which is endemic to Haiti. Its common name is derived from the hump males develop as they age. It is sometimes kept in home aquaria.
The San Marcos gambusia is a likely extinct species of Gambusia from the family Poeciliidae that was found only in the San Marcos Springs of Central Texas. The fish has not been seen since 1983.
Perugia's limia is a poeciliid fish endemic to the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. It is one of the most widespread species in the Limia genus, inhabiting waters ranging from fresh to hypersaline. Unlike most Limia species, L. perugiae is omnivorous. Dominant males are especially colorful. Females give birth to live young.
The Barrens topminnow is an endangered species of freshwater fish in the family Fundulidae.
The Clear Creek gambusia is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae endemic to the United States, particularly Menard County, Texas.
The Gila topminnow or charalito is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. It is found in Mexico and the United States.
The dusky millions fish, speckled mosquitofish or the one-spot livebearer is a species of fish native eastern and southern Brazil, northern Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay. It has also been introduced to Australia, Malawi and New Zealand; primarily for mosquito control, but also as escapees from the aquarium trade. It has been reported as having adverse ecological effects in areas where it has been introduced. The females of this species grow to a total length of 6 centimetres (2.4 in), while males remain smaller.
The green swordtail is a species of freshwater/brackish fish in family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes. A live-bearer, it is closely related to the southern platyfish or 'platy' (X. maculatus) and can crossbreed with it. It is native to an area of North and Central America stretching from Veracruz, Mexico, to northwestern Honduras.
The Yaqui topminnow is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. Its scientific name is Poeciliopsis sonoriensis; it is also sometimes considered a subspecies of Poeciliopsis occidentalis as P. o. sonoriensis. This fish is native to Mexico and the United States, with a few native and introduced populations persisting in Arizona in the United States, and a number of populations still extant in northern Sonora, Mexico.
The eastern mosquitofish was introduced to Australia in 1925, and had spread from the northeast coasts to New South Wales, southern Australia, and parts of Western Australia by 1934. By the 21st century, known populations of wild mosquitofish had occurred in every state and territory except the Northern Territory, found in swamps, lakes, billabongs, thermal springs, salt lakes, and ornamental ponds. Mosquitofish are considered a noxious pest, especially in New South Wales and Queensland, and it is illegal to release them into the wild or transport them live into any of the states or territories. Mosquitofish were introduced by military and local councils to control mosquito populations; however, there has been no evidence that Gambusia has had any effect in controlling mosquito populations or mosquito-borne diseases. Studies have shown that Gambusia can suffer mortalities if fed only on mosquito larvae, and survivors show poor growth and maturation. Gambusia typically eat zooplankton, beetles, mayflies, caddis flies, mites and other invertebrates; mosquito larvae make up only a small portion of their diet.
Gambusia quadruncus, known as the llanos mosquitofish, is a species of bony fish in the genus Gambusia, part of the family Poeciliidae, that lives in east-central Mexico. Sometimes coexisting with at least three similar species, it differs from its closest relative, Gambusia affinis, in several characteristics with plausible effects on reproductive isolation.
"Combined analysis of mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequence data indicates reciprocal monophyly of the species and its sister species Gambusia affinis, with levels of genetic divergence suggesting the two species diverged from one another over a million years ago. The origin of Gambusia quadruncus may reflect a vicariant event associated with Pliocene orogenesis in the Tamaulipas Arch and a frontal section of the Sierra Madre Oriental ."
Hypseleotris compressa, the empire gudgeon, is a species of Gobiiform fish in the family Eleotridae endemic to Australia and south-central New Guinea.
The Pacific blue-eye is a species of fish in the subfamily Pseudomugilinae native to eastern Australia. Described by Austrian naturalist Rudolf Kner in 1866, it comprises two subspecies that have been regarded as separate species in the past and may be once again with further study. It is a common fish of rivers and estuaries along the eastern seaboard from Cape York in North Queensland to southern New South Wales, the Burdekin Gap in central-north Queensland dividing the ranges of the two subspecies.
Poeciliinae is a subfamily of killifish from the family Poeciliidae which contains species from the Americas which are collectively known as the livebearers because many, but not all, of the species within the subfamily are ovoviviparous.
Gambusiini, also spelled Gambusini, is a tribe of killifishes from the "livebearer" family Poeciliidae. Their native range encompasses Central and much of North America, with a single species Gambusia lemaitrei occurring in South America. Some species have been widely introduced outside their native range and the Eastern mosquitofish Gambusia holbrooki is considered to be one of the 100 worst invasive species in the world and is responsible for declines in small native aquatic species worldwide.
