Poecilia orri

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
(Redirected from
Poecilia vetiprovidentiae
)

Mangrove molly
A male in the natural environment

Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Poecilia
Species:
P. orri
Binomial name
Poecilia orri
Fowler, 1943
Synonyms

Poecilia vetiprovidentiae Fowler, 1950[2]

Poecilia orri, the mangrove molly, is a

livebearer fish from Central America. Two morphs
exist, differing in size, body shape, and coloring.

Description

Two

Alpha males of the latter morph normally have a humeral spot and a red or yellow dorsal fin. Both sexes differ between the morphs. Intermediate forms have not been reported.[3]

Taxonomy

P. orri was first

Old Providence Island. Donn Eric Rosen and Reeve Maclaren Bailey (1963) regarded both as synonyms of P. sphenops. In 1983, Robert Rush Miller revalidated P. orri as a distinct species and made P. vetiprovidentiae its synonym.[4]

P. orri belongs to the

Mollienesia. P. gillii, P. mexicana, and P. butleri are closely related to P. orri.[5] P. vandepolli is very similar and may be identical to P. orri.[3]

Distribution and habitat

P. orri is

Yucatan and Quintana Roo through Belize to northern Honduras, including Bay Islands and Hog Island, as well as Colombia's Old Providence Island.[2]

The preferred habitats of P. orri are coastal

microhabitats.[3]

Behavior

A mixed-sex group browsing on leaves

Gut analyses have shown mangrove mollies to be

herbivorous. The fish feed on cyanobacteria.[5] They form shoals near the substrate, where they browse, and stay close to shelter such as mangrove or floating algae. In the cenotes along the Riviera Maya the species is found alongside the livebearer Gambusia yucatana, catfish Rhamdia quelen, and a Rocio cichlid.[4]

Males do not court females but rely exclusively on "sneaky" forced copulations.[6]

References

  1. ^ Daniels, A.; Maiz-Tome, L. (2020). "Poecilia orri". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2020: e.T191751A2002420. Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  2. ^
    JSTOR 1444354
    . Retrieved 5 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b c Poeser, Fred N. (2003). Taxonomy of Poecilia Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (PDF). From the Amazon river to the Amazon molly and back again (Thesis). pp. 147–148. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  4. ^ a b Lundkvist, Ronny (May 2014). "The mystery of the mangrove molly". Tropical Fish Hobbyist. pp. 64–65. Retrieved 7 January 2024.
  5. ^ a b Sanchez, Jessica L.; Bracken-Grissom, Heather; Trexler, Joel C. (2019). "Freshwater-to-marine transitions may explain the evolution of herbivory in the subgenus Mollienesia (genus Poecilia, mollies and guppies)". Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 27 (4): 753. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  6. doi:10.1093/beheco/arm030
    . Retrieved 5 January 2024.

External links

Media related to Category:Poecilia orri at Wikimedia Commons

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