The sulphur molly (''Poecilia sulphuraria''), locally known as ''molly del Teapa'', is an
endangered species of
fish in the family
Poeciliidae.
It is
endemic to
Mexico, specifically to the
Baños del Azufre (
Grijalva River basin) near
Teapa,
Tabasco. The Baños del Azufre are sulfidic springs that contain high concentrations of toxic
hydrogen sulfide
Hydrogen sulfide is a chemical compound with the formula . It is a colorless chalcogen-hydride gas, and is poisonous, corrosive, and flammable, with trace amounts in ambient atmosphere having a characteristic foul odor of rotten eggs. The unde ...
(). ''Poecilia sulphuraria'' has apparently evolved the ability to tolerate the toxic conditions. A few other ''
Poecilia'' species are known from similar habitats in Mexico.
[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.
See also
*
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 ...
(''Gambusia eurystoma''), another fish endemic to Baños del Azufre in Tabasco, Mexico
References
Further reading
*
*
External links
*
Poecilia
Endemic fish of Mexico
Fish described in 1948
Taxonomy articles created by Polbot
{{Cyprinodontiformes-stub