Species: Poecilia vandepolli, Island Molly

Poecilia vandepolli van Lidth de Jeude, 1887

Island 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, inner row 1-pointed; 1 dorsal fin with short base, its origin behind pelvic origin, 8-9 rays; pelvic origin well behind pectoral base, near anal fin; tip of pelvic fin of males swollen, elongate; pectorals high on flank, 14 or more rays, 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 short & with a straight tip that has small spines (not visible externally) and a short fleshy palp; tail base relatively narrow; tail fin rounded, without elongate sword; scales smooth and relatively large; 26-28 lateral scales, 16 scales around tail base.

Body grey-brown to yellow with blue sides to orange along lower body; dark streaks along flank; sometimes a dark spot just behind the top corner of the operculum; dorsal fin with a large dark blotch at its base, spots outside that; inner 2/3 of tail fin with irregular rows of spots.

Reaches 6 cm.

Lives in fresh to brackish shoreline waters.

Depth range: 0-1 m.

The S Caribbean; introduced to St Martin.