Species: Poecilia orri, Mangrove molly

body blueish + rows orange spots

Poecilia orri Fowler, 1943
Mangrove molly
Head and body moderately robust (larger) to elongate (smaller), moderately compressed at rear; head depressed; front nostril not tubular; covering of eye not continuous with skin of head; mouth small, at front, slightly oblique, lower jaw slightly projecting, top jaw protractile; jaw teeth consist of an outer row of large backward curved teeth with expanded tips, and several rows of small pointed teeth; without 2 pairs of pores on top of snout before eyes: 1 dorsal fin with short base, its origin behind pelvic origin, 9 (8-10) rays; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin; tip of pelvic fin of males swollen, elongate; pectorals high on flank, 5th ray not scalloped in male; anal fin 8-9 rays, origin under (female) or a little behind (male) dorsal fin origin; 3rd anal ray unbranched; anal fin modified in male to form an elongate sex organ, that organ relatively short, with straight tip that has small spines & a fleshy palp; tail base deep (20.5-24% of SL); tail fin rounded, without elongate sword; scales smooth and relatively large; 25-27 lateral scales, 16 scales around tail fin base.
Occurs in 2 distinct forms that use different microhabitats: Top of head and back bluey black; sides steel blue, with faint rows of orange spots; male with a dark oval spot above pectoral fin base and large spots on tail fin base. Type 1: dorsal and tail fins lemon yellow, with scattered black spots on fin membranes. Type 2: tail brick-red with large black spots on inner 2/3 of its membranes, rear edge black; dorsal fin inner half black + white spots, outer half brick red, with a few black spots and a black outer edge.
Reaches 7.3 cm.
Fresh to full strength salt water, lagoons, mangroves, sandy beaches.
Depth range: 0-3 m.
The NW Caribbean.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Freshwater
- Marine
- Brackish
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Freshwater
- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Estuary
- Beach
- Sand & gravel
- Soft bottom only
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Detritivore
- Data
- Diet
-
- Detritus
- Insects
- Data
- Egg Type
-
- Data
- Live birth
- No pelagic larva
- No pelagic phase
- Global Endemism
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- All species.
- Greater Caribbean endemic
- West Atlantic Endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- All species..
- Island (s)
- Continent
- Continent + Island (s)
- GC endemic
- Caribbean endemic
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Least concern
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 7.3
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 3