Species: Gambusia puncticulata, Caribbean Gambusia

Gambusia puncticulata Poey, 1854

Caribbean Gambusia

Head and body moderately robust, moderately compressed at rear; head depressed; front nostril not tubular; covering of eye not continuous with skin of head; mouth small, opens at front, slightly oblique, lower jaw slightly projecting, top jaw protractile; jaw teeth consist of an outer row of large backward curved teeth, and several rows of small pointed teeth; 1 dorsal fin with short base, at rear of body, 8-10 rays; anal fin origin distinctly before dorsal fin origin in both sexes female with 10-11 rays; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin, tips of fins of males not swollen; pectorals high on flank, 14-15, modified in male, with 5th ray scalloped near its tip; 3rd anal ray unbranched; anal fin modified in male to form an elongate sex organ, that greatly elongate (~1/3 SL) organ not slender, pointed with tip curved upwards and with 2 recurved hooks on its top side, without a fleshy palp; tail base relatively narrow; tail fin rounded; scales smooth and relatively large, 29-32 along side.

Light olive, a dark stripe running back from eye, becoming diffuse beyond pectoral fin; edges of scales dark; with/without dark bar under eye; a dark line along underside of tail base; body, dorsal and tail fins (of all subspecies except that in Bahamas) with rows of dark spots.

Reaches 6.6 cm.

Fresh, brackish and salt water in coastal areas.

Depth: 0-1 m.

The Bahamas, Cuba, Cayman Is and Jamaica; 7 subspecies at different sites.