Poecilia

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Poecilia
Sailfin molly (Poecilia latipinna)
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Poecilia
Bloch & Schneider, 1801
Species

See text.

Poecilia is a genus of euryhaline brackish water fish in family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes.[1] The type species is P. vivipara. Live-bearers, the Poecilia species are collectively known as mollies, with the exception of Endler's livebearer (P. wingei) and the famous guppy (P. reticulata). Members of this genus are members of the family Poecilidae, which includes the southern platyfish or "platy" (Xiphophorus maculatus), and the green swordtail (X. hellerii).

Contents

Aquaria

Along with their platy cousins, the mollies are part of a pivotal aquaculture group of livebearers, which can live in water from fresh to fully marine, and a wide range of other conditions. They feed on smaller insects, animals, and vegetation.

IUCN list two of the species, the sulphur molly, P. sulphuraria, and the broadspotted molly, P. latipunctata, as Critically Endangered.

The generic name Poecilia derives from the Greek ποικίλος (variegated), in reference to the fishes' coloration. Mollies need to live in water that is 25 to 28 °C (77 to 82 °F).

Mollies come in several different colors and spot patterns, such as black, white, black and white spots, orange, Orange and white spots.

Species

FishBase lists 33 species.[2] Recently one new species was added,[3] bringing the total to 34 species:

References

  1. ^ "Poecilia". Integrated Taxonomic Information System. http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=165897. Retrieved June 8, 2006. 
  2. ^ Poecilia FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. May 2006 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2006.
  3. ^ a b Manfred K. Meyer, Alfred C. Radda, Manfred Schartl, Klaus Schneider & Brigitta Wilde (November 2004). "A new species of Poecilia, subgenus Mollienesia, from upper río Cahabón system, Guatemala, with remarks on the Nomenclature of Mollienesia petenensis Günther, 1866 (Teleostei: Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae)". Zoologische Abhandlungen 54: 145–154. ISSN 0375-5231. http://globiz.sachsen.de/snsd/publikationen/zool_abh_54_2004_145-154.pdf. 
  4. ^ Fred N. Poeser, Michael Kempkes, Isaac J. H. Isbrücker (2005). "Description of Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei n. sp. from the Paria Peninsula, Venezuela, including notes on Acanthophacelus Eigenmann, 1907 and other subgenera of Poecilia Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes, Poecilidae)". Contributions to Zoology 74: 97–115. http://www.goodeids.com/docs/POESER_2005_WINGEI.pdf. 

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