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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.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecologie
; zoet water; brak water benthopelagisch; pH range: 6.0 - 8.8; dH range: ? - 40; potamodroom (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).
Grootte / Gewicht / Leeftijd
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 4.7 cm TL mannelijk / geslacht onbekend; (Ref. 59105); 8.0 cm TL (female); max. gerapporteerde leeftijd: 1.00 Jaren (Ref. 126182)
Korte beschrijving
Determinatiesleutels | Morfologie | Morfometrie
Dorsale stekels (totaal) : 1; Dorsale zachte stralen (totaal) : 7; Anale stekels: 1; Anale zachte stralen: 9.
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)
Status op de Rode Lijst van het IUCN (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-1)
Gevaar voor de mens
Potential pest (Ref. 12257)
Gebruik door de mens
Visserij: commercieel; Aquarium: Commercieel
Tools
Speciale rapporten
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Estimates based on models
Fylogenetische diversiteitsindex (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01000 (0.00803 - 0.01246), b=3.19 (3.13 - 3.25), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species (Ref.
93245).
Trofisch niveau (Ref.
69278): 3.1 ±0.2 se; based on diet studies.
Weerstandsvermogen (Ref.
120179): Hoog, minimale populatieverdubbelingstijd minder dan 15 maanden (tm<1; multiple spawning per year).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
