A fancy molly is any of the domestic strains of mollies ( Mollienesia subgenus of Poecilia ), which are livebearer fish popularly kept as aquarium pets. The origin of the fancy mollies is unclear, with P. sphenops , P. gillii , P. latipinna , and P. velifera commonly named as parent species. Fancy mollies are widespread in pet stores across the world and commonly marketed as a good choice for aquarists, especially for beginners in the fishkeeping hobby.
Mollies entered the fishkeeping hobby around 1905. The identity of the species from which the fancy mollies originate is difficult to ascertain because early aquarists crossbred any mollies available to them. In 1969 Kurt Jacobs credited "Crescenty in New Orleans" with developing the black molly through seven years of selective breeding of "Mollienesia formosa" (today synonym for Poecilia formosa ). [1] John A. Dawes considers it unlikely that the black molly is derived from P. formosa because P. formosa is an all-female species which reproduces exclusively through gynogenesis. [2] Arthur Rachow, a pioneering aquarist, recorded that he had received black-spotted mollies from Panama, and Charles Tate Regan identified them as Mollienesia formosa. The identification of Lake Gatun as the place of collection of this "Mollienesia formosa" points to the species in question being P. gillii . [1]
Bill Allen, writing for the Tropical Fish Hobbyist , doubts that an aquarist named Crescenty ever existed, and suggests that the black molly was produced by several breeders who worked independently in the 1920s and 1930s. Allen notes that one of the first breeders offering black mollies was Bill Schomberg of Crescent Fish Farm in New Orleans. Black mollies were simultaneously bred by Florida fish farmers Jack Beater and Bill Sternke, among others. [3] The early black mollies were small, with females reaching only 5–6 cm (2.0–2.4 in) and males 4–5 cm (1.6–2.0 in), and were extremely sensitive. They were difficult to breed, producing only 2-20 fry per litter and rarely up to 60. These fish are then said to have been crossed with the wild "liberty molly", producing similarly sized fish with shiny green scales and a rounded dorsal fin. [1]
The black molly is frequently defined in aquarium literature as a breeding form of P. sphenops, but black mollies comprise fish with differing pedigrees. [1] Ichthyologist Eugene K. Balon attributed the creation of the black molly to the crossbreeding of the shortfin P. sphenops and the sailfin P. latipinna . He explains that the high-finned breeds were created by adding P. velifera to the cross. [4]
A wide array of fancy molly colors have been developed in addition to the classic black molly. [3]
In addition to the colors, fancy mollies differ in the shape of their fins. [3]
Color and fin shape are inherited independently and therefore any combination of color and fin shape is possible. [3]
Balloon mollies are a small variety with an extremely deformed abdominal cavity. These mollies are poor swimmers, and due to their deformity have sometimes been cited as examples of cruelty to animals. [3]
Fancy mollies are cheap and ubiquitous fish in pet stores worldwide. They are marketed as easy fish for beginners in fishkeeping. In the aquarium, they can be aggressive to other mollies and to swordtails, but are usually peaceful to other fish. Black mollies are sensitive to the buildup of bacteria and nitrogen compounds and do not tolerate soft water. Suboptimal conditions quickly cause the fish to clamp their fins and rock their bodies, a condition known as shimmying. [1]
The neon tetra is a freshwater fish of the characin family of order Characiformes. The type species of its genus, it is native to blackwater and clearwater streams in the Amazon basin of South America. Its bright colouring makes the fish visible to conspecifics in the dark blackwater streams, and is also the main reason for its popularity among freshwater fish hobbyists, with neon tetras being one of the most widely kept tropical fish in the world.
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.
The sailfin molly 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 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 tidal areas with a regular inflow of oceanic minerals and nutrients mixing with inland freshwater sources.
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.
Fishkeeping is a popular hobby, practiced by aquarists, concerned with keeping fish in a home aquarium or garden pond. It is a practice that encompasses the art of maintaining one's own aquatic ecosystem, featuring a lot of variety with various water systems, all of which have their own unique features and requirements. Fishkeeping primarily serves as a token of appreciation and fascination for marine life and the environment that surrounds such, along with other purposes such as the piscicultural fishkeeping industry, serving as a branch of agriculture, being one of the most widespread methods of cultivating fish for commercial profit.
The Pearlscale or Chinshurin (珍珠鱗) in Japanese is a spherical-bodied fancy goldfish with doubled finnage similar to the fantail.
The Amazon molly is a freshwater fish native to the warm waters of northeastern Mexico and the southern parts of the U.S. state of Texas. It reproduces through gynogenesis, and essentially all individuals are females. The common name of "Amazon molly," acknowledges this trait as a reference to the Amazon warriors, a female-run society in Greek mythology. The Amazon molly is a hybrid species, and its parent species are the sailfin molly and the Atlantic molly. In 1932, this species was the first vertebrate confirmed to be capable of asexual reproduction.
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 guppies. These very colorful hybrids are the easiest to find being offered in pet-shops, typically under the name Endler's guppy.
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.
Poecilia velifera, known as the Yucatan molly and also as the giant sailfin molly amongst aquarists, is a large livebearer that lives in coastal waters of the Yucatan Peninsula. These live-bearer (Poeciliidae) fish are particularly well known for both the extreme size variation among males, and the sexual dimorphism between males and females in both body shape and behavior.
Molly, Mollie or mollies may refer to:
The liberty molly is a fish species from El Salvador. It is one of the short fin molly species in the Poecilia sphenops complex, and had been often regarded as synonymous with P. sphenops until recently.
Limia melanogaster, the black-bellied or blue limia, is a poeciliid fish from Jamaica. It inhabits fast-flowing streams. It is a rare livebearer in modern fishkeeping.
Poecilia kykesis, also known as the Usumacinta molly, Petén molly, spiketail molly, or swordtail molly, is a poeciliid fish species native to the fresh and brackish waters of Mexico, Guatemala, and Belize. It belongs to the sailfin molly clade, with males exhibiting an enlarged dorsal fin. The species has a notably controversial naming history, with the former name, Poecilia petenensis, now referring to a short-finned molly species. It is a livebearer sometimes kept in aquaria.
Poecilia gillii, Gill's molly, is a herbivorous livebearer fish distributed throughout Central America. It is found in both moving and still water as well as in both freshwater and brackish habitats. Populations of this species differ in color, size, and morphology.
Poecilia chica, the dwarf molly, is a livebearer fish from the Mexican state of Jalisco. The fish are small and exceptionally colorful. The dominant male may become completely black, which is a unique ability in the Mollienesia subgenus.
Poecilia catemaconis, the bicolor molly, is a livebearer fish from Mexico.
Poecilia orri, the mangrove molly, is a brackish-water livebearer fish from Central America. Two morphs exist, differing in size, body shape, and coloring.
Poecilia vandepolli, or Van de Poll's molly, is a poeciliid fish native to the ABC islands of the Lesser Antilles, namely Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. It is a euryhaline species and one of the most common fish in its range, inhabiting fresh, brackish, salt, and hypersaline waters. The fish vary significantly in size and color depending mostly on the salinity of their environment. The saltwater specimens grow faster and become more robust and more colorful, but the species is drawn to the freshwater habitats which disappear in each dry season and must be recolonized when the rains return.
Brachyrhaphis roseni, commonly known as the cardinal brachy, is a poeciliid fish from Central America.