''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in brackish or saltwater habitats. The type species is the

Cuban gambusia The Cuban gambusia (''Gambusia punctata'') is a species of freshwater fish. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes, and is the type species of its genus. It is native to Cuba, inhabiting primarily stagnant lakes or ...

, ''G. punctata''. The greatest species richness is in Mexico, Texas, and the Greater Antilles, but species are also found elsewhere in the eastern and southern United States, the Bahamas, Central America, and

Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...

. ''Gambusia'' species are often called topminnows, or simply gambusias; they are also known as mosquitofish, which, however, refers more specifically to two species, '' G. affinis'' and '' G. holbrooki'', which are often introduced into ponds to eat mosquito larvae. As a consequence, they have been introduced widely outside their native range, and frequently become

invasive Invasive may refer to: *Invasive (medical) procedure *Invasive species *Invasive observation, especially in reference to surveillance *Invasively progressive spread of disease from one organ in the body to another, especially in reference to cancer ...

, threatening local species. They are only occasionally kept in aquariums, due to their relative lack of color and the highly aggressive nature of the aforementioned mosquitofish species. Nine species are listed as

vulnerable Vulnerable may refer to: General * Vulnerability * Vulnerability (computing) * Vulnerable adult * Vulnerable species Music Albums * ''Vulnerable'' (Marvin Gaye album), 1997 * ''Vulnerable'' (Tricky album), 2003 * ''Vulnerable'' (The Used album) ...

in the IUCN Red List; one, the

widemouth gambusia The widemouth gambusia (''Gambusia eurystoma'') is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. It is endemic to Mexico, specifically to the Baños del Azufre (Grijalva River basin) near Teapa, Tabasco. The Baños ...

, ''G. eurystoma'', is critically endangered; and two, the

Amistad gambusia The Amistad gambusia (''Gambusia amistadensis'') is an extinct species of small fish known only from a single locality, the large vegetated Goodenough Spring in Val Verde County, Texas. It apparently was driven to extinction in the wild when its ...

, ''G. amistadensis'', and the

San Marcos gambusia The San Marcos gambusia (''Gambusia georgei'') is an extinct species of gambusia from the family Poeciliidae that was found only in the San Marcos Springs of Central Texas. The fish has not been seen since 1983. The specific name of this fish ho ...

, ''G. georgei'', are already

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

Species

The 45 currently recognized species in this genus are: * '' Gambusia affinis'' ( S. F. Baird & Girard, 1853) (mosquitofish, western mosquitofish) * ''

Gambusia alvarezi The yellowfin gambusia (''Gambusia alvarezi'') is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. It is endemic to the Rio Conchos of Chihuahua, Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the sout ...

'' C. Hubbs & V. G. Springer, 1957 (yellowfin gambusia) *

† A dagger, obelisk, or obelus is a typographical mark that usually indicates a footnote if an asterisk has already been used. The symbol is also used to indicate death (of people) or extinction (of species). It is one of the modern descendan ...

Gambusia amistadensis The Amistad gambusia (''Gambusia amistadensis'') is an extinct species of small fish known only from a single locality, the large vegetated Goodenough Spring in Val Verde County, Texas. It apparently was driven to extinction in the wild when its ...

'' Peden, 1973 (Amistad gambusia) * '' Gambusia atrora'' D. E. Rosen & R. M. Bailey, 1963 (blackfin gambusia) * ''

Gambusia aurata ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

R. R. Miller Robert Rush Miller (April 23, 1916 – February 10, 2003) "was an important figure in American ichthyology and conservation from 1940 to the 1990s." He was born in Colorado Springs, earned his bachelor's degree at University of California, Berke ...

& W. L. Minckley, 1970 (golden gambusia) * '' Gambusia baracoana'' Rivas, 1944 * '' Gambusia beebei'' G. S. Myers, 1935 (Miragoane gambusia) * ''

Gambusia bucheri ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' Rivas, 1944 * ''

Gambusia clarkhubbsi ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

'' G. P. Garrett & R. J. Edwards, 2003 (San Felipe gambusia) * ''

Gambusia dominicensis ''Gambusia dominicensis'', known as the Dominican gambusia, domingo gambusia, or domingo mosquito fish, is a species of freshwater fish native to the lake of Etang Saumatre on Hispaniola, in eastern Haiti and the western Dominican Republic. A 20 ...

Regan The family name Regan, along with its cognates O'Regan, O Regan, Reagan, and O'Reagan, is an Anglicized form of the Irish surname Ó Riagáin or Ó Ríogáin, from Ua Riagáin. The meaning is likely to have originated in ancient Gaelic ''ri'' ...

, 1913 (Dominican gambusia) * ''

Gambusia echeagarayi ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' (

Álvarez Álvarez or Álvares may refer to: People *Álvarez (surname), Spanish surname Places *Alvares (river), a river in northern Spain * Alvares (ski resort), in Iran *Alvares, Iran * Alvares, Portugal *Álvarez, Santa Fe, a town in the province of Sa ...

, 1952) (Maya gambusia) * ''

Gambusia eurystoma The widemouth gambusia (''Gambusia eurystoma'') is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. It is endemic to Mexico, specifically to the Baños del Azufre (Grijalva River basin) near Teapa, Tabasco Tabasc ...

'' R. R. Miller, 1975 (widemouth gambusia) * '' Gambusia gaigei'' C. L. Hubbs, 1929 (Big Bend gambusia) * ''

Gambusia geiseri ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' C. Hubbs & C. L. Hubbs, 1957 (largespring gambusia) *

'' Gambusia georgei'' C. Hubbs & Peden, 1969 (San Marcos gambusia) * '' Gambusia heterochir'' C. Hubbs, 1957 (Clear Creek gambusia) * ''

Gambusia hispaniolae The Hispaniolan gambusia (''Gambusia hispaniolae'') is a fish endemic to the island of Hispaniola. Taxonomy William L. Fink wrote its species description in a 1971 revision of the '' Gambusia nicaraguensis'' species group. Some specimens of t ...

'' W. L. Fink, 1971 (Hispaniolan gambusia) * '' Gambusia holbrooki'' Girard, 1859 (eastern mosquitofish) * ''

Gambusia hurtadoi ''Gambusia hurtadoi'', also known as crescent gambusia, is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. It is endemic to Chihuahua in Mexico, where it is known as ''guayacon de Hacienda Dolores''. It grows to total length. The species was ...

'' C. Hubbs & V. G. Springer, 1957 (crescent gambusia) * '' Gambusia krumholzi'' W. L. Minckley, 1963 (spotfin gambusia) * ''

Gambusia lemaitrei ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in b ...

'' Fowler, 1950 * ''

Gambusia longispinis ''Gambusia longispinis'', the Cuatrociengas gambusia (also locally called the Guayacon de Cuatro Cienegas), is an endangered species of fish in the family Poeciliidae. It is endemic to Cuatro Ciénegas in Mexico. References longispini ...

'' W. L. Minckley, 1962 (Cuatrocienegas gambusia) * ''

Gambusia luma ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' D. E. Rosen & R. M. Bailey, 1963 (sleek mosquitofish) * ''

Gambusia manni ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

'' C. L. Hubbs, 1927 * '' Gambusia marshi'' W. L. Minckley & Craddock, 1962 (robust gambusia) * '' Gambusia melapleura'' (

P. H. Gosse Philip Henry Gosse FRS (; 6 April 1810 – 23 August 1888), known to his friends as Henry, was an English naturalist and populariser of natural science, an early improver of the seawater aquarium, and a painstaking innovator in the study of ma ...

, 1851) (striped gambusia) * '' Gambusia monticola'' Rivas, 1971 * '' Gambusia myersi'' C. G. E. Ah, 1925 * '' Gambusia nicaraguensis'' Günther, 1866 (Nicaraguan mosquitofish) * '' Gambusia nobilis'' ( S. F. Baird & Girard, 1853) (Pecos gambusia) * '' Gambusia panuco'' C. L. Hubbs, 1926 (Panuco gambusia) * ''

Gambusia pseudopunctata ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' Rivas, 1969 (Tiburon Peninsula gambusia) * ''

Gambusia punctata The Cuban gambusia (''Gambusia punctata'') is a species of freshwater fish. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae of order Cyprinodontiformes, and is the type species of its genus. It is native to Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republ ...

'' Poey, 1854 (Cuban gambusia) * ''

Gambusia puncticulata ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

'' Poey, 1854 (Caribbean gambusia) * '' Gambusia quadruncus'' Langerhans, Gifford, Domínguez-Domínguez, García-Bedoya & T. J. DeWitt, 2012 * ''

Gambusia regani ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found in br ...

'' C. L. Hubbs, 1926 (Forlon gambusia) * ''

Gambusia rhizophorae The Mangrove gambusia (''Gambusia rhizophorae'') is a tropical poeciliid (live bearing) fish species with a restricted, disjunct range one in northwestern Cuba, the other in southeastern Florida. The Florida population has been recently listed ...

'' Rivas, 1969 (mangrove gambusia) * ''

Gambusia senilis ''Gambusia senilis'', the blotched gambusia, is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae found in Mexico, where it is called ''guayacon pinto'', and formerly in the Devils River (Texas), Devil's River in the Rio Grande basin in Texas. The Tex ...

'' Girard, 1859 (blotched gambusia) * '' Gambusia sexradiata'' C. L. Hubbs, 1936 (teardrop mosquitofish) * '' Gambusia speciosa'' Girard, 1859 (Tex-Mex gambusia) * '' Gambusia vittata'' C. L. Hubbs, 1926 (Gulf gambusia) * '' Gambusia wrayi'' Regan, 1913 (Wray's gambusia) * ''

Gambusia xanthosoma ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' D. W. Greenfield, 1983 (Cayman gambusia) * ''

Gambusia yucatana ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' Regan, 1914 (Yucatán gambusia) * ''

Gambusia zarskei ''Gambusia'' is a large genus of viviparous fish in the family Poeciliidae (order Cyprinodontiformes). ''Gambusia'' contains over 40 species, most of which are principally found in freshwater habitats, though some species may also be found i ...

'' M. K. Meyer, Schories & Schartl, 2010

Notes

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q516188 Freshwater fish genera Freshwater fish of Central America Freshwater fish of South America Freshwater fish of Mexico Live-bearing fish Ray-finned fish genera Poeciliidae Taxa named by Felipe Poey