Species: Poecilia velifera, Yucatan Molly
+/- black blotches body & fins
Yucatan

Poecilia velifera (Regan, 1914)
Yucatan Molly
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, 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; 1 dorsal fin with long base, its origin before pelvic origin, 16-20 rays, fin enlarged in both sexes, high and sail-like in male; 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 9, origin well behind dorsal fin origin in both sexes; 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 relatively narrow; tail fin rounded, without elongate sword; scales smooth and relatively large; 26-27 lateral scales, 20 around tail base.
Light pearly grey to tan; male with 8-10 rows of small red-brown spots on scales in rows along body; tail fin with rows of small brown and pearl spots; inner 2/3 of membranes of dorsal fin dark and with 4-5 rows of pearl spots; anal fin without white border; tail fin with lower border dark; female with much less extensive spotting on body and fins; sometimes wild fish with dense irregular black blotches on head, body and fins.
Reaches 15.2 cm
Fresh to brackish water.
Depth range: 0-3 m.
W and E Yucatan peninsula.

High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Brackish
- Freshwater
- Non Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore
- Inshore Only
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Soft bottom (mud/sand/gravel/beach/estuary/mangrove/seagrass)
- Estuary
- Freshwater
- FishBase Habitat
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- Demersal
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Detritivore
- Diet
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- Data
- Detritus
- Insects
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Mobile benthic worms
- Egg Type
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- 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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- Continent
- Continent only
- GC endemic
- All species
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- IUCN Red List
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- Listed
- Vulnerable
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 15.2
- Depth Range Min
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- 0
- Depth Range Max
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- 3