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Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Poeciliidae (Poeciliids) > Poeciliinae
Etymology: Gambusia: Gambusia: From the Cuban term, Gambusino, which means "nothing", usually in the context of a joke or a farce. Fishing for gambusinos = when one catches nothing (Ref. 45335).
Eponymy: Dr John Edwards Holbrook (1794–1871) was a zoologist and herpetologist who has been described as ‘the Father of North American Herpetology’. [...] (Ref. 128868), visit book page.
More on author: Girard.
Umwelt: Milieu / Klimazone / Tiefenbereich / Verbreitungsgebiet
Ökologie
; süßwasser; brackwasser benthopelagisch; pH range: 6.0 - 8.8; dH range: ? - 40; potamodrom (Ref. 51243). Subtropical; 15°C - 35°C (Ref. 13371); 40°N - 31°N, 89°W - 74°W
Introduced worldwide in tropical and subtropical countries. North America: Atlantic and Gulf Slope drainages from New Jersey south to Alabama in USA (Ref. 5723). Established throughout southern Europe (Ref. 59043). Introduced for mosquito control, but had rare to non-existing effects on mosquitoes, and negative to perhaps neutral impact on native fishes (Ref. 12217).
Größe / Gewicht / Alter
Geschlechtsreife: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.7 cm TL Männchen/unbestimmt; (Ref. 59105); 8.0 cm TL (female); max. veröff. Alter: 1.00 Jahre (Ref. 126182)
Rückenflossenstacheln (insgesamt) : 1; Rückenflossenweichstrahlen (insgesamt) : 7; Afterflossenstacheln: 1; Afterflossenweichstrahlen: 9.
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.
Adults occur in standing to slow-flowing water, mostly in vegetated ponds and lakes, backwaters and quiet pools of steams (Ref. 5723), typically seen shoaling at the edges (Ref. 44894). They also frequent brackish water (Ref. 5723). Adults feed on small terrestrial insects usually in the drift and amongst aquatic plants, actively selecting very small prey (Ref. 6154). Also observed to take in mosquito larvae (Ref. 41168). Introduced worldwide. Introductions to Europe have seriously threatened many endemic species (Ref. 59043). It is now widely accepted that their effect has been minimal and even may have exacerbated the problem due to their voracious appetite for natural invertebrate predators of mosquito larvae (Ref. 44894).
Matures at 4-6 weeks; 3 generations can be produced in one year. Gestation lasts 3-4 weeks. Brood may reach up to 354 young, but is generally around 40-60 (Ref. 1672, 59043).
Page, L.M. and B.M. Burr, 1991. A field guide to freshwater fishes of North America north of Mexico. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 432 p. (Ref. 5723)
IUCN Rote Liste Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Bedrohung für Menschen
Potential pest (Ref. 12257)
Nutzung durch Menschen
Fischereien: kommerziell; Aquarium: Kommerziell
Tools
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Internet Quellen
Schätzungen auf der Grundlage von Modellen
Phylogenetischer Diversitätsindex (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00803 - 0.01245), b=3.19 (3.13 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trophische Ebene (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Widerstandsfähigkeit (Ref.
120179): hoch, Verdopplung der Population dauert weniger als 15 Monate. (tm<1; multiple spawning per year).
Anfälligkeit der Fischerei (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
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