| Poeciliidae (Poeciliids), subfamily: Poeciliinae |
| 15 cm TL (male/unsexed); 10 cm TL (female) |
|
benthopelagic; depth range - 0 m, non-migratory |
| North America: Cape Fear drainage in North Carolina, USA to Veracruz, Mexico. Introduced to many countries. Several countries report adverse ecological impact after introduction. Gulf of Mexico (Ref. 26938). |
|
The large sail-like dorsal fin of the male is the most distinctive characteristic of this fish; coloration can vary from green, gray to jet black; speckled forms also common (Ref. 44091). |
| Found in still or gently flowing warm water of small creeks and drains (Ref. 44894). Occurs in ponds, lakes, sloughs, and quiet, often vegetated, backwaters and pools of streams (Ref. 5723) and also in coastal waters (Ref. 7251). Abundant in tidal ditches and brackish canals. Feeds mainly on algae (Refs. 7251; 44091), also consumes animal material: rotifers, small crustaceans (such as copepods and ostracods) and aquatic insects (Ref. 79012). |
|
(Ref. 96402)
|
| potential pest |
|
Discovered in vast numbers in some saltwater fishponds and salt ponds around Manila Bay in 1929. After 1916, despite orders from Alvin Seale not to distribute the species with the mosquito fish Gambusia affinis, the fish was released in the wild. Found rare in water with salinity as low as 3.1-3.2%, abundant at 3.5% and continues to be so up to 8.7% (its limit of tolerance), entirely disappears at 9.4%. Collected from Obando and Malolos, Bulacan and Malabon. Of no interest for its flesh is bitter. Competes with cultured fish (e.g. Chanos chanos) for algal food ('lab-lab' composed of blue-green algae, diatoms, desmids, filamentous green algae, protozoans and other microscopic animals and ''lumut' or green filamentous algae) that covers the bottom of fishponds (Ref. 12590). Also Ref. 1739, 6096. |
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