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  • Belonesox belizanus, Pike killifish, Pike topminnow
    jaws form long beak, lower jaw projects
    teeth = canines
  • Brachyrhaphis cascajalensis, Cascajal Mosquitofish
    teeth curved
    male: pelvic tips not swollen, pectoral 5th ray not scalloped
    male sex organ - no fleshy palp, no recurved hooks on top of tip
    A base: black blotch
  • dark scale edges -> cross-hatching
    D 7-8 (5-10)
    A 8-11
    Gambusia affinis, Western Mosquitofish, the Mosquitofish
    gill rakers 5-12
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 26-34
  • faint stripe along flank
    fins golden
    D7
    A 9
    Colombia
    Gambusia lemaitrei, Totumo gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 33
  • under eye - dark bar
    C top margin yellow
    D 6-7
    A 10
    Belize & Honduras
    Gambusia luma, Sleek Mosquitofish
    gill rakers 13-14
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 29
  • D orange/yellow
    D 8
    A 9
    N Bahamas
    Gambusia manni, Bahama gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales < 29
  • rows brown dots along scales
    male: lower C margin orange
    D 7-9
    A 8-11
    Belize to Panama
    Gambusia nicaraguensis, Nicaragua Mosquitofish
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 29-30
  • 4-5 rows black dots along scale rows, central row -> dark line
    D, C & pectoral yellow
    A&pelvics bluish
    Cuba, Belize, S Florida
    Gambusia punctata, Spotted gambusia, Cuban gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
  • dark stripe back from eye
    dark line under tail base
    scale edges dark
    D 8-10
    A 10-11
    Caribbean Mexico, Guatemala, Cuba, Bahamas, Cayman, Jamaica
    Gambusia puncticulata, Caribbean gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 29-32
  • several lines conspicuous black dots along body
    fins yellowish
    D 8-10
    A 11
    Gambusia rhizophorae, Mangrove gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip, tip blunt, round
    lateral scales 28-30
  • faint dark stripe from eye along body
    D 8-10
    A 11
    Jamaica
    Gambusia wrayi, Jamaica Mosquitofish
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 31-32
  • yellow/orange, bluish below
    iris blue
    short black line behind operculum
    D & C yellow-orange + grey margin
    A: white + orange
    Grand Cayman
    Gambusia xanthosoma, Cayman gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
  • upper body - large brown spots
    male C: lower margin orange
    D 7-10
    A 10-11
    N Yucatan to Belize
    Gambusia yucatana, Yucatan gambusia
    male: pectoral 5th ray scalloped, sex organ - no palp, + hooks above tip
    lateral scales 28-31
  • black stripe along body; black blotch front of D
    Heterandria formosa, Least killifish, Dwarf livebearer
    teeth compressed
    male: pelvic tips not swollen, pectoral 5th ray not scalloped
    male sex organ - no fleshy palp, down-curved hook at tip
  • narrow dark bars
    D & C: irregular rows of irregular spots, yellow in
    Grand Cayman
    Limia caymanensis, Grand Cayman limia
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ - with fleshy palp, no spines
  • D base: dark spot at rear
    Haiti
    Limia rivasi, Rivas’ limia
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ - with fleshy palp, no spines
  • dotted stripe - operculum to C
    male: D&C yellow-orange + rows black spots
    female: yellow patch near anus
    Limia vittata, Banded limia, Cuban limia, Striped mudfish
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ - with fleshy palp, no spines
    Cuba
  • bluey-silver + rows yellow spots
    D 9-10, spots/black blotch at base
    Poecilia gillii, the molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ - + palp & spines under straight tip
    scales: lateral 26-29, around tail base 16
  • body ~10 dark bars
    D 8, male - basal blotch + outer spots
    tail base - irregular spots
    male: C longitudinal spots
    Poecilia koperi, the Olomina
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + long palp & (not visible) spines under straight tip
    scales: laterales 25-26, 16 around tail base
    Venezuela
  • body: 4-8 lines dots
    fin rays - small dark spots
    D 13-16, origin before pelvic orign; male - large
    male C: rows brown spots, center orange
    Poecilia latipinna, Sailfin molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp & spines under straight tip, claws above & below tip
    scales: 26-29 lateral, 16 around tail base
  • 2 pairs pores on snout
    color geographically variable
    D 9-10, origin behind pelvic origin; male - fin sm
    Poecilia mexicana, Shortfin molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp, 1 claw & spines under straight tip
    scales: 26-30 lateral, 18 around tail base
  • without 2 pairs pores on snout
    body blueish + rows orange spots
    D 8-10, origin behind pelvic origin
    male: dark oval spot above pectoral base, C - large spots
    Poecilia orri, Mangrove molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp & small spines under straight tip
    scales: 25-27 lateral, 16 around tail base
  • male D - undulating stripes + large white spots, margin orange
    D 14-16, origin before pelvic orgin
    male C: rows orange-brown spots, margin orange, black triangular point at lower corner
    Poecilia petenensis, Petén molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp & small spines + 2 hooks under straight tip
    scales: 28-30 lateral, 20 around tail base
  • male: bars on rear body, D white + central curved stripe & black edge
    female +/- dark blotch; spots around genital area
    D origin over/behind center A
    D 6-7; A 9-10
    male C: top red stripe, black edge & spot below; curved bar lower base
    male sometimes red
    Poecilia picta, Black picta, Swamp guppy
  • male highly variable: black spot top & bottom tail base, 1+ black spots on front body
    D origin behind pelvic origin, male: long, +
    D 6-7; A 8
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + v long palp & spines under straight tip
    scales: 25-27 lateral, 14 around tail base
  • male body: rows orange spots
    D 9-10, origin behind pelvic base; male - 2-4 blac
    male C: yellow + several vertical rows black dots
    Poecilia sphenops, Mexican molly, the molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp & spines under straight tip
    scales: 26-27 lateral, 18 around tail base
  • grey-brown above, bluey sides, yellow below
    flank - dark streaks
    D 8-9, origin behind pelvic origin, dark basal blo
    C inner 2/3- rows spots
    Netherlands Antilles
    Poecilia vandepolli, Island molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, short palp & (invisible) spines under straight tip
    scales: 26-28 lateral, 16 around tail base
  • tan + rows red-brown spots
    +/- black blotches body & fins
    D 16-20, origin before pelvic base; male: inner 2/
    C lower border dark
    Yucatan
    Poecilia velifera, Yucatan molly, Sailfin molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short,+ palp & spines under straight tip
    scales: 26-27 lateral, 20 around tail base
  • under front D: dark blotch
    D 8-10, origin behind pelvic base, 1-2 strong spot
    C yellow, dark edge
    Poecilia vivipara, Southern molly
    male: pelvic tips swollen, sex organ short, + palp, spines under straight tip
    scales: 24-27 lateral, 16 around tail base