''Poecilia'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial nom ...

of fishes in the family

Poeciliidae The Poeciliidae are a family of freshwater fishes of the order Cyprinodontiformes, the tooth-carps, and include well-known live-bearing aquarium fish, such as the guppy, molly, platy, and swordtail. The original distribution of the family was t ...

of the order

Cyprinodontiformes Cyprinodontiformes is an order of ray-finned fish, comprising mostly small, freshwater fish. Many popular aquarium fish, such as killifish and live-bearers, are included. They are closely related to the Atheriniformes and are occasionally inc ...

. These

livebearers Livebearers are aquarium fish that retain the eggs inside the body and give birth to live, free-swimming young. Among aquarium fish, livebearers are nearly all members of the family Poeciliidae and include guppies, mollies, platies and swordta ...

are native to fresh,

brackish Brackish water, sometimes termed brack water, is water occurring in a natural environment that has more salinity than freshwater, but not as much as seawater. It may result from mixing seawater (salt water) and fresh water together, as in estu ...

and salt water in the

Americas The Americas, which are sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North and South America. The Americas make up most of the land in Earth's Western Hemisphere and comprise the New World. Along with th ...

, and some

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...

in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to living in waters that contain high levels of toxic hydrogen sulfide ()Palacios, Arias-Rodriguez, Plath, Eifert, Lerp, Lamboj, Voelker, & Tobler (2013).
The Rediscovery of a Long Described Species Reveals Additional Complexity in Speciation Patterns of Poeciliid Fishes in Sulfide Springs.
' PLoS ONE 8(8): e71069. and a population of '' P. mexicana'' lives in caves (other populations of this species are surface-living). Some common and widespread species are often kept as aquarium fish, while other have very small ranges and are seriously

threatened Threatened species are any species (including animals, plants and fungi) which are vulnerable to endangerment in the near future. Species that are threatened are sometimes characterised by the population dynamics measure of ''critical depensa ...

. All species in ''Poecilia'' are called mollies except for the

Endler's livebearer ''Poecilia wingei'', known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler's livebearer, in the genus ''Poecilia'', is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are prolific breeders and often hybridize with guppies. These very colorful hy ...

(''P. wingei'') and the well-known

guppy The guppy (), also known as millionfish and rainbow fish, is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. It is a member of the family Poeciliidae and, like almost all ...

(''P. reticulata'') which have a distinctly different body shape from the rest of the genus. '' Micropoecilia'' has been proposed to be included as a subgenus of ''Poecilia''.

Etymology, taxonomy and history

Franz Steindachner first described the species in 1863. ''Poecilia'' refers to the Greek word ''poikilos'', which means "with a lot of colours". Common names include "shortfin molly" and "Atlantic molly." The

type specimen In biology, a type is a particular specimen (or in some cases a group of specimens) of an organism to which the scientific name of that organism is formally attached. In other words, a type is an example that serves to anchor or centralizes th ...

was found in

Orizaba Orizaba () is a city and municipality in the Mexican state of Veracruz. It is located 20 km west of its sister city Córdoba, and is adjacent to Río Blanco and Ixtaczoquitlán, on Federal Highways 180 and 190. The city had a 2005 census ...

, Mexico.

Aquaria

Fish of this genus have extremely variable coloration and have been

selectively bred Selective breeding (also called artificial selection) is the process by which humans use animal breeding and plant breeding to selectively develop particular phenotypic traits (characteristics) by choosing which typically animal or plant m ...

to create many different varieties. The most commonly kept species are guppies ('' P. reticulata)'', mollies ('' P. sphenops'' or ''P. latipinna''), and Endler's livebearers ('' P. wingei''). Members of the genus readily hybridize with each other and so most commercially offered fish are hybrids (with guppies having some Endler, and mollies being a mix of common and sailfin mollies). They are easy to sex as males have a prominent

gonopodium Fins are distinctive anatomical features composed of bony spines or rays protruding from the body of a fish. They are covered with skin and joined together either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or similar to a flipper, as see ...

, a modified anal fin used to inseminate females. They mature quickly and breed readily, with females giving birth to a dozen or more fry every month. Poecilids are cannibalistic and will eat any of their fry that are unable to flee in time (with females often eating the fry they just gave birth to, especially in a cramped aquarium setting).

Species

The 40 currently recognized species in this genus are: * ''

Poecilia boesemani ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to livi ...

'' Poeser, 2003 * ''

Poecilia butleri ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to livi ...

'' D. S. Jordan, 1889 (Pacific molly) * '' Poecilia catemaconis'' R. R. Miller, 1975 (Catemaco molly) * '' Poecilia caucana'' ( Steindachner, 1880) (Cauca molly) * '' Poecilia caudofasciata'' ( Regan, 1913) * '' Poecilia chica'' R. R. Miller, 1975 (dwarf molly) * '' Poecilia dauli'' M. K. Meyer & Radda, 2000 * '' Poecilia dominicensis'' ( Evermann & H. W. Clark, 1906) * '' Poecilia elegans'' ( Trewavas, 1948) (elegant molly) * '' Poecilia formosa'' ( Girard, 1859) (Amazon molly) * '' Poecilia gillii'' ( Kner, 1863) * '' Poecilia hispaniolana'' Rivas, 1978 (Hispaniola molly) * '' Poecilia hondurensis'' Poeser, 2011 * '' Poecilia kempkesi'' Poeser, 2013Poeser, F.N. (2013)
Apropos Guppys...
''viviparos, Das Lebendgebärenden Magazin, (11) 1: 36-40, 56.'' (In German) * '' Poecilia koperi'' Poeser, 2003 * '' Poecilia kykesis'' Poeser, 2002 * ''

Poecilia latipinna ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to liv ...

'' ( Lesueur, 1821) (sailfin molly) * ''

Poecilia latipunctata The broadspotted molly (''Poecilia latipunctata''), locally known as ''molly del Tamesi'', is a critically endangered species of fish in the family Poeciliidae, endemic to a small part of the Tamesí River system (itself part of the Pánuco Riv ...

Meek Meekness is an attribute of human nature and behavior that has been defined as an amalgam of righteousness, inner humility, and patience. Meekness has been contrasted with humility alone insomuch as humility simply refers to an attitude towards o ...

, 1904 (broadspotted molly) * ''

Poecilia marcellinoi ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish water, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have ...

'' Poeser, 1995 * '' Poecilia maylandi'' M. K. Meyer, 1983 (Balsas molly) * '' Poecilia mechthildae'' M. K. Meyer, Etzel & Bork, 2002 * ''

Poecilia mexicana ''Poecilia mexicana'', commonly known as the shortfin molly or Atlantic molly, is a species of poeciliid fish native to fresh and brackish water in Mexico and Guatemala. One population is found in caves and known as the cave molly. Description ...

'' Steindachner, 1863 (shortfin molly) * '' Poecilia nicholsi'' ( G. S. Myers, 1931) * ''

Poecilia obscura ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to livi ...

'' Schories, M. K. Meyer & Schartl, 2009 * '' Poecilia orri'' Fowler, 1943 (mangrove molly) * '' Poecilia parae'' C. H. Eigenmann, 1894 * ''

Poecilia petenensis ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish water, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have ...

'' Günther, 1866 (Peten molly) * ''

Poecilia reticulata ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have adapted to livin ...

'' W. K. H. Peters, 1859 (guppy) * '' Poecilia rositae'' M. K. Meyer, K. Schneider, Radda, B. Wilde & Schartl, 2004 * ''

Poecilia salvatoris The liberty molly (''Poecilia salvatoris'') is a fish species from El Salvador. It is one of the short fin Poecilia, molly species in the ''Poecilia sphenops'' complex, and had been often regarded as a variety of ''P. sphenops'' until recently. ...

'' Regan, 1907 (Liberty molly) * '' Poecilia sarrafae'' Bragança & W. J. E. M. Costa, 2011 * ''

Poecilia sphenops ''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 and coas ...

Valenciennes Valenciennes (, also , , ; nl, label=also Dutch, Valencijn; pcd, Valincyinnes or ; la, Valentianae) is a commune in the Nord department, Hauts-de-France, France. It lies on the Scheldt () river. Although the city and region experienced a ...

, 1846 (black molly) * '' Poecilia sulphuraria'' (

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 ...

, 1948) (sulphur molly) * '' Poecilia teresae'' D. W. Greenfield, 1990 (mountain molly) * '' Poecilia vandepolli'' van Lidth de Jeude, 1887 * ''

Poecilia velifera ''Poecilia velifera'', known as the Yucatan molly and also as the giant sailfin molly amongst aquarists, is a very large Livebearer that lives in coastal waters of the Yucatan peninsula. These live-bearer (Poeciliidae) fish are particularly wel ...

'' (Regan, 1914) (Yucatán molly) * ''

Poecilia vivipara ''Poecilia vivipara'', sometimes called the southern molly, is a small euryhaline livebearer fish distributed along the Atlantic coast of South America. It is most frequently found in standing brackish water. It has been introduced outside its n ...

'' Bloch & J. G. Schneider, 1801 * '' Poecilia waiapi'' Bragança, W. J. E. M. Costa & Gama, 2012 * ''

Poecilia wandae ''Poecilia'' is a genus of fishes in the family Poeciliidae of the order Cyprinodontiformes. These livebearers are native to fresh, brackish water, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. A few have ...

'' Poeser, 2003 * ''

Poecilia wingei ''Poecilia wingei'', known to aquarists as Endlers or Endler's livebearer, in the genus ''Poecilia'', is a small fish native to the Paria Peninsula in Venezuela. They are prolific breeders and often hybridize with guppies. These very colorful hyb ...

'' Poeser, Kempkes & Isbrücker, 2005 (Endler's guppy, Endler's livebearer) If ''Poecilia'' in the wider sense is used then the species would be divided up into subgenera as follows: * ''Poecilia'' Bloch & Schneider 1801 **''Poecilia (Poecilia) vivipara'' * ''Acanthophacelus'' Eigenmann 1907 ** ''Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) kempkesi'' ** ''Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) obscura'' ** ''Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) reticulata'' ** ''Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei'' * ''Allopoecilia'' Hubbs 1924 ** ''Poecilia (Allopoecilia) caucana'' ** ''Poecilia (Allopoecilia) dauli'' * ''Curtipenis'' Rivas & Myers 1950 ** ''Poecilia (Curtipenis) elegans'' * ''Limia'' Poey 1854 ** ''Poecilia (Limia) caudofasciata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) caymanensi'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) dominicensis'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) fuscomaculata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) garnieri'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) grossidens'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) immaculata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) melanogaster'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) melanonotata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) miragoanensis'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) nicholsi'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) nigrofasciata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) ornata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) pauciradiata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) perugiae'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) rivasi'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) sulphurophila'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) tridens'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) versicolor'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) vittata'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) yaguajali'' ** ''Poecilia (Limia) zonata'' * ''Micropoecilia'' Hubbs 1926 ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) bifurca'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) branneri'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) minima'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) parae'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) picta'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) sarrafae'' ** ''Poecilia (Micropoecilia) waiapi'' * ''Mollienesia'' Lesueur 1821 ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) boesemani'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) butleri'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) catemaconis'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) chica'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) formosa'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) gillii'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) hondurensis'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) koperi'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) kykesis'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) latipinna'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) latipunctata'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) limantouri'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) marcellinoi'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) maylandi'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) mechthildae'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) mexicana'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) nelsoni'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) orri'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) petenensis'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) rositae'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) salvatoris'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) sphenops'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) sulphuraria'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) teresae'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) thermalis'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) vandepolli'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) velifera'' ** ''Poecilia (Mollienesia) wandae'' * ''Pseudolimia'' Poeser 2002 ** ''Poecilia (Pseudolimia) heterandria'' * ''Psychropoecilia'' Myers 1935 ** ''Poecilia (Psychropoecilia) hispaniolana'' ** ''Poecilia (Psychropoecilia) montana''

Gallery

File:Dalmatian molly.jpg, A male Dalmatian molly in a community aquarium File:Malemolly2.jpg, A male black molly File:Poecilia vivipara.png, ''Poecilia vivipara'' File:Guppy - Poecilia reticulata.jpg, A female guppy (''Poecilia reticulata'') File:Poecilia reticulata (male).JPG, A male guppy

References

External links

* Poecilla care information
www.mollyfish.com
{{Taxonbar, from=Q310951 Live-bearing fish Ovoviviparous fish Freshwater fish genera Ray-finned fish genera Taxa named by Marcus Elieser Bloch Taxa named by Johann Gottlob Theaenus Schneider