Poecilia sphenops

Last updated

Molly
Poecilia sphenops.jpg
Male molly
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Poecilia
Species:
P. sphenops
Binomial name
Poecilia sphenops
(Valenciennes, 1846)
Synonyms [2]
  • Mollienisia sphenops(Valenciennes, 1846)
  • Poecilia thermalis Steindachner, 1863
  • Gambusia modesta Troschel, 1865
  • Gambusia plumbeaTroschel, 1865
  • Poecilia chisoyensis Günther, 1866
  • Poecilia doviiGünther, 1866
  • Poecilia spilurusGünther, 1866
  • Platypoecilus mentalis Gill, 1877
  • Poecilia boucardiiSteindachner, 1878
  • Platypoecilus nelsoni Meek, 1904
  • Platypoecilus tropicusMeek, 1907
  • Poecilia tenuisMeek, 1907
  • Poecilia spilonota Regan, 1908
  • Poecilia caudataMeek, 1909
  • Mollienesia macrura Hubbs, 1935
  • Mollienesia vantyneiHubbs, 1935
  • Mollienesia altissimaHubbs, 1936
  • Mollienesia pallida de Buen, 1943
  • Lembesseia parvianalis Fowler, 1949
  • Poecilia vetiprovidentiaeFowler, 1950

Poecilia sphenops is a species of fish, of the genus Poecilia , known under the common name molly; to distinguish it from its congeners, it is sometimes called short-finned molly or common molly. They inhabit fresh water streams, coastal brackish, and marine waters from Mexico to Colombia. The wild-type fishes are dull, silvery in color. The molly can produce fertile hybrids with many Poecilia species, most importantly the sailfin molly. The male mollies generally tend to be mildly aggressive.

Contents

Mollies rank as one of the most popular feeder fish due to high growth rate, birth size, reproduction, and brood number.

Biology

Mollies are similar in appearance to their livebearer cousins, the platy, swordtail and guppies; the molly tends to be slightly larger and more energetic. Many aquarists note the stronger individuality and aggression in keeping mollies versus platies, who appear much more docile.

Size

Standard size of male fish is 3.2″ (8 cm) and female fish is 4.8″ (12 cm).

Varieties

Selective breeding over centuries has produced several color variations and different body shapes.

Related Research Articles

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<i>Poecilia</i> Genus of fishes

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Liberty molly</span> Species of fish

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cuban limia</span> Species of fish

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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.

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References

  1. 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.
  2. Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2019). "Poeclia sphenops" in FishBase. August 2019 version.