Merry widow livebearer | |
---|---|
A male | |
A female | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Actinopterygii |
Order: | Cyprinodontiformes |
Family: | Poeciliidae |
Genus: | Phallichthys |
Species: | P. amates |
Binomial name | |
Phallichthys amates R. R. Miller, 1907 | |
Synonyms | |
Poeciliopsis isthmensis |
Phallichthys amates, the merry widow or merry widow livebearer, is a livebearer fish from Central America, the largest and most widespread in its genus. Two subspecies range from Guatemala to Panama. Distinguishing features include the dark dorsal fin edge, a stripe through the eye, and an oversized male copulatory organ (gonopodium).
Phallichthys amates is the largest and most widespread species in the genus Phallichthys . It was originally thought to consist of three species, P. amates from the Motagua River in Guatemala, P. pittieri from the Reventazon River in Costa Rica, and P. isthmensis from Colón, Panama. [2] Today, these populations are considered to comprise a single species, P. amates, with two generally recognized subspecies: [2] [3]
While the genus name literally means "phallus fish", referring to the male's strikingly large copulatory organ (gonopodium), the common name for the species, merry widow, was invented by William T. Innes's friend and fishkeeping author Frederick H. Stoye due to the fish's "lively habits, plus the mourning [black] edge on the dorsal fin". German-born Stoye may have been further inspired by the then-popular Austrian opera The Merry Widow . [2]
Phallichthys amates has a robust and deep, almost rhomboid grey body with bluish highlights. [3] A black stripe through the eye runs to the throat. [2] Juveniles and adult males possess six to eight vertical bars, which are softened or missing in adult females. The male's gonopodium reaches the base of the caudal fin. [3] The dorsal fin is always erect in both sexes. [2]
P. amates amates is the larger subspecies, characterized by a black band along the edge of its dorsal fin. Females grow to 2.5 in (64 mm), while males only reach the length of 1.25 in (32 mm). P. amates pittieri, about 0.25 in (6.4 mm) shorter, instead possesses an orange or orange-red band with a dark grey band inside it and more often has scales edged in a reticulated pattern. [2] Some fish in the Patuca River drainage in Honduras exhibit intermediate characteristics. [3]
Phallichthys amates amates occurs on the Atlantic slope from Guatemala's Motagua River to the rivers close to the La Ceiba municipality in Honduras. P. amates pittier is found from northern Nicaragua to the Guarumo River in western Panama. The species is seldom encountered in the Atlantic slope and north of Costa Rica, where it is found scattered in the Tempisque and Bebedero drainages. Meek did not record it in Costa Rican Central Valley in 1914 but Alfaro found it there in 1928, suggesting an introduction by human between those dates. [3]
The preferred habitats are shallow waters of swamps, creeks, and river shorelines over soft bottoms such as mud and leaf litter. [3] Temperatures in these habitats range from 20 to 37 °C. [3]
Phallichthys amates feeds mainly on detritus, ooze, and diatoms. Filamentous algae and aquatic insects are occasionally taken as well. [3]
Phallichthys amates reproduces throughout the year but a greater number of juveniles is found in September. [3] A livebearer, the female gives birth to 10–80 live fry, [4] the number depending on the female's size. [2] The gestation lasts about four weeks [4] or less, depending on water temperature. [2] The fry are born looking exactly like adult fish, including the characteristic band on the dorsal fin. [2]
Though uncommon in the hobby, Phallichthys amates is easy to keep in a home aquarium. Like other Phallichthys species, it is hardy, peaceful, and outgoing. [2]
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 species of fish in the genus Poecilia. As with the other types of mollies, P. latipinna is a livebearer, giving birth to free-swimming babies, a trait they share with similar fish species such as guppies, platies and swordtails. Sailfin mollies typically inhabit 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 México. 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.
The four-eyed fishes are a genus, Anableps, of fishes in the family Anablepidae. They have eyes raised above the top of the head and divided in two different parts, so that they can see below and above the water surface at the same time.
The longfin sawtail catshark is a rare, little-known species of catshark, part of the family Scyliorhinidae. Once thought to be a subspecies of the roughtail catshark along with the Antilles catshark, it inhabits deep water off the Caribbean coasts of Panama and Colombia. This slim-bodied species has a marbled dorsal color pattern and a prominent crest of enlarged dermal denticles along the dorsal edge of its caudal fin. It can be distinguished from similar species by its relatively longer anal fin and small adult length of under 35 cm (14 in). The longfin sawtail catshark is oviparous.
The white-eye is a species of killifish of the family Anablepidae. This species is the only member of its genus, Oxyzygonectes, and the subfamily Oxyzygonectinae.
The scaly-breasted hummingbird or scaly-breasted sabrewing is a species of hummingbird in the "emeralds", tribe Trochilini of subfamily Trochilinae. It is found in Belize, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.
The tenspine grouper is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is part of the family Serranidae, which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found along the western coast of Mexico and Central America, but is a very rare fish of which little information exists.
Heterandria formosa is a species of livebearing fish within the family Poeciliidae. This is the same family that includes familiar aquarium fishes such as guppies and mollies. Heterandria formosa is not as commonly kept in aquaria as these species. Despite the common name "least killifish", it belongs to the family Poeciliidae and not to one of the killifish families. H. formosa is one of the smallest fish species; the 1991 Baensch Aquarium Atlas listed it as the 7th smallest fish in the world, and as of 2006 it remains the smallest fish species found in North America.
The redtail splitfin or redtail goodeid is a species of goodeid fish from the family Goodeidae and subfamily Goodeinae. Like other members of Goodeinae, the redtail splitfin is native to Mexico and a livebearer. However, the goodeid mating system differs in several ways from the more common livebearing fish from the family Poeciliidae that includes guppies and swordtails. While no goodeid species is a very popular aquarium fish, the redtail splitfin is one of the most popular. Only the male has the red-orange tail for which it is named. Its specific name honours the collector of the type, Gustav Eisen (1847–1940) who was Curator of Marine Invertebrates at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, California.
Cephalopholis panamensis, the Pacific graysby or Panama graysby, is a species of marine ray-finned fish, a grouper from the subfamily Epinephelinae which is in the family Serranidae which also includes the anthias and sea basses. It is found in the Eastern Pacific Ocean.
Neoheterandria elegans or Tiger Teddy is a small live-bearing fish within the family Poeciliidae. This is the same family that includes familiar aquarium fishes such as guppies and swordtails, although Neoheterandria elegans is not nearly as popular as an aquarium fish. The fish is found in the Truando River in Colombia. Males grow to 2.0 centimetres (0.79 in) and females grow to 2.5 centimetres (0.98 in). The front half of the fish is mostly silver but the rear has alternating gold and black vertical bars.
Platy is a common name of freshwater fish in the genus Xiphophorus that lack a "sword" at the bottom of their tails. Both species are livebearers, similar to other fish of the family Poeciliidae, such as the guppy and molly. Platies are native to the east coast of Central America and southern Mexico.
Phallichthys is a genus of poeciliids native to Central America. They are hardy fish which inhabit stagnant and slow-flowing waters, making them well-suited to fishkeeping.
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.
Pelvicachromis silviae is a species of cichlid in the genus Pelvicachromis. It is found in the Niger River, in the same region as congeners Pelvicachromis pulcher and Pelvicachromis taeniatus.
Alfaro cultratus, the knife livebearer, is a species of tropical freshwater fish from the family Poeciliidae. It hails from Central America and is often kept in home aquaria.
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.
Phallichthys tico, the dwarf merry widow, is a livebearer fish from Central America. It lives in turbid, stagnant waters, often among aquatic plants, and feeds mainly on plant matter. It is sometimes kept in aquaria.
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.