Introduction

This order includes 10 families, 109 genera and about 1013 species, largely found in fresh and brackish waters of the Americas and Africa to Asia (Nelson 2006). No species in the order is native to Australia. Several species have been introduced for mosquito control or through release of aquarium fishes (Allen et al. 2002). Species in two families now have found in the wild in Australia, with several species having breeding populations.

General References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

History of changes

Introduction

Poeciliids are live-bearing fishes native to North, Central and South America and Africa. Most species are found in fresh water, but some are tolerant of brackish water. About 37 genera and 304 species are recognised worldwide (Nelson 2006), with at least six species in four genera established in Australia. Maximum length for the family is about 10 cm.

The poeciliids were reviewed by Rosen & Bailey (1963). Relationships were discussed by Parenti (1981). Merrick & Schmida (1984) discussed the biology of several species recorded from Australia. Corfield et al. (2008) and Harris (2013) reviewed species introductions in Australia.

Many species, such as molly, swordtail, platy and guppy, are popular in the aquarium trade. In recent years, species kept in aquaria have been released into the wild, often with adverse effects on native fishes (Arthington et al. 1983; McKay 1984). The first species to be released into the wilds of Australia was Gambusia holbrooki, which was brought to Sydney in 1926 and Brisbane in 1929 for mosquito control. The stocks were apparently brought from Italy, having originated from Georgia, USA (Lloyd & Tomasov 1985). Subsequently, during World War II G. holbrooki spread to many areas (Whitley 1951). Previously two subspecies of Gambusia affinis (G. affinis affinis and G. affinis holbrooki) were recorded from Australia. Wooten et al. (1988) treated the two forms as distinct species and examination of museum specimens indicated that G. holbrooki is common in Australia, but the occurrence of G. affinis is unclear. Lloyd & Tomasov (1985) believed that all Australian records of Gambusia were based on Gambusia holbrooki. Another species, Gambusia dominicensis, has also been recorded from Australia, collected from waterholes near Alice Springs (Allen et al. 2002 and Grant 2002), but some uncertainty surrounds the identity of these populations (Lloyd & Tomasov 1985).

General References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Arthington, A.H., Milton, D.A. & McKay, R.J. 1983. Effects of urban development and habitat alterations on the distribution and abundance of native and exotic freshwater fish in the Brisbane region, Queensland. Australian Journal of Ecology 8(2): 87-101

Corfield, J., Diggles, B., Jubb, C., McDowall, R.M., Moore, A., Richards, A. & Rowe, D.K. 2008. Review of the impacts of introduced ornamental fish species that have established wild populations in Australia. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 277 pp.

Girard, S.F. 1859. Ichthyology of the Boundary. United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, under the Order of Lieut. Col. W. H. Emory, Major First Cavalry, and United States Commissioner. Vol. 2, part 2. pp. 1-85 [pl. 35]

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp.

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp.

Lloyd, L.N. & Tomasov, J.F. 1985. Taxonomic status of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis (Poeciliidae), in Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36: 447-451 fig. 1

McKay, R.J. 1984. Introductions of exotic fishes in Australia. pp. 177-199 in Courtnay, W.R. Jr & Staffer, J.R. Jr (eds). Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes. Baltimore : John Hopkins University Press.

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs.

Nelson, J.S. 2006. Fishes of the World. Hoboken, New Jersey : John Wiley & Sons, Inc. 601 pp.

Parenti, L.R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 168(4): 335-557

Rosen, D.E. & Bailey, R.M. 1963. The poeciliid fishes (Cyprinodontiformes), their structure, zoogeography and systematics. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 126(1): 1-176 figs 1-61

Whitley, G.P. 1951. Introduced fishes. II. Australian Museum Magazine 10(7): 234-238 3 figs

Wooten, M.C., Scribner, K.T. & Smith, M.H. 1988. Genetic variability and systematics of Gambusia in the southeastern United States. Copeia 1988(2): 283-289 figs 1-2

Common Name References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [364] (Livebearers)

Parenti, L.R. 1999. Family Poeciliidae. pp. 2199-2200 in Carpenter, K.E. & Niem, T.H. (eds). The Living Marine Resources of the Western Central Pacific. FAO Species Identification Guide for Fisheries Purposes. Rome : FAO Vol. 4 pp. 2069-2790. [2199] (FAO) (Livebearing Toothcarps)

History of changes

• Gambusia Poey, F. 1854. Los guajacones, pecesillos de aquadulce. pp. 374–392 in Poey, F. Memorias sobre la Historia Natural de la Isla de Cuba. Habana Vol. 1. [not seen] [376, 380, 384, 390].

  Type species:

   Gambusia punctata Poey, 1854 by subsequent designation, see Bleeker, P. 1863. Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises, publié sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial néerlandais. Tome 3. Cyprins. Amsterdam : Fréd. Müller 150 pp. pls 102-144. [140]; Jordan, D.S. & Copeland, H.E. 1876. Check list of the fishes of the freshwaters of North America. Bulletin of the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences 3: 133-164 [142].

Excluded Taxa

Misidentifications

POECILIIDAE: Gambusia affinis Baird & Girard, 1853 — Lloyd, L.N. & Tomasov, J.F. 1985. Taxonomic status of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis (Poeciliidae), in Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36: 447-451 fig. 1

Distribution

States

Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Native to New World, but introduced worldwide.

IBRA

ACT, NSW, NT, Qld, SA, Vic, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Carnarvon (CAR), Channel Country (CHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gawler (GAW), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Gulf Plains (GUP), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Norfolk Island terrestrial & freshwater

History of changes

• Gambusia holbrooki Girard, C.F. 1859. Ichthyological notices. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences, Philadelphia 11: 56-58 [62].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) ANSP 6976-77, Palatka, Florida, USA; MCZ 35999, Charleston, South Carolina, USA; USNM 8301, Charleston, South Carolina, USA.

Miscellaneous Literature Names

• Gambusia affinis Baird & Girard, 1853 [misidentification, see Lloyd & Tomasov (1985)]. —
  Cadwallader, P.L. & Backhouse, G.N. 1983. A Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Victoria. Melbourne : F.D. Atkinson Government Printer 249 pp. figs. [171]

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Widespread in fresh waters of Australia, except for TAS, previously restricted to SW corner of WA but recently recorded from the western Pilbara and Kimberley regions; tropical, temperate.

Introduced from U.S.A..

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA: Australian Alps (AA), Avon Wheatbelt (AW), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Brigalow Belt South (BBS), Broken Hill Complex (BHC), Carnarvon (CAR), Channel Country (CHC), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Cobar Peneplain (CP), Cape York Peninsula (CYP), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Desert Uplands (DEU), Dampierland (DL), Darling Riverine Plains (DRP), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Esperance Plains (ESP), Eyre Yorke Block (EYB), Finke (FIN), Flinders Lofty Block (FLB), Gawler (GAW), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), Gulf Plains (GUP), Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Murray Darling Depression (MDD), Mitchell Grass Downs (MGD), Mulga Lands (ML), Nandewar (NAN), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), New England Tablelands (NET), NSW North Coast (NNC), NSW South Western Slopes (NSS), Riverina (RIV), Sydney Basin (SB), South East Coastal Plain (SCP), South East Corner (SEC), South Eastern Highlands (SEH), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Simpson Strzelecki Dunefields (SSD), Stony Plains (STP), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA), Victorian Midlands (VM), Victorian Volcanic Plain (VVP), Warren (WAR), Wet Tropics (WT)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1982. Inland Fishes of Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 86 pp. 6 figs 20 pls. [27]

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [365]

Cadwallader, P.L. & Backhouse, G.N. 1983. A Guide to the Freshwater Fish of Victoria. Melbourne : F.D. Atkinson Government Printer 249 pp. figs. [171] (as G. affinis)

Grant, E.M. 2002. Guide to Fishes. Redcliffe : EM Grant Pty Ltd 880 pp. [801] (as G. affinis)

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Lloyd, L.N. & Tomasov, J.F. 1985. Taxonomic status of the mosquito fish, Gambusia affinis (Poeciliidae), in Australia. Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 36: 447-451 fig. 1

McDowall, R.M. (ed.) 1980. Freshwater Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed 208 pp., figs, 32 pls. [94] (as G. affinis)

McDowall, R.M. (ed.) 1996. Freshwater Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Sydney : Reed Books 247 pp. [116]

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [341] (as G. affinis)

Wager, R. & Unmack, P.J. 2000. Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia. Brisbane : Department of Primary Industries and Queensland Fisheries Service 88 pp. [62]

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1982. Inland Fishes of Western Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 86 pp. 6 figs 20 pls. [27] (Mosquitofish)

Grant, E.M. 1975. Guide to Fishes. Brisbane : Queensland Government, Co-ordinator General’s Department 640 pp. [574] (Mosquito-fish, Top Minnow)

McDowall, R.M. (ed.) 1980. Freshwater Fishes of South-eastern Australia. Sydney : A.H. & A.W. Reed 208 pp., figs, 32 pls. [95] (Gambusia)

Prokop, F. 2002. Australian Fish Guide. Croydon South, Victoria : Australian Fishing Network 256 pp. [40] (Eastern Gambusia, Gambies, Starling's Perch)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Mosquitofish)

Wager, R. & Unmack, P.J. 2000. Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia. Brisbane : Department of Primary Industries and Queensland Fisheries Service 88 pp. [62] (Bore-drain Fish)

History of changes

• Phalloceros Eigenmann, C.H. 1907. The poecilid fishes of Rio Grande do Sur and the La Plata Basin. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 32: 425-433 [431].

  Type species:

   Girardinus caudimaculatus Hensel, 1868 by original designation.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Fresh waters of eastern South America.

IBRA

NSW, NT, SA, WA: Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Sydney Basin (SB), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA)

History of changes

• Gerardinus caudimaculatus Hensel, R. 1868. Beiträge zur Kenntnis der Wirbelthiere Südbrasiliens. Archiv für Naturgeschichte 34: 356-375 [362].

  Type data:

   Lectotype ZMB 7425 (type locality as Río Grande do Sul, Brazil), Costa da Serra, São Leopoldo, Brazil.
  Paralectotype(s) ZMB 7425; ZMB 31496; BMNH 1894.5.18.60 (possible paralectotype); ZMB 33220.

  Subsequent designation references:

  Lucinda, P.H.F. 2008. Systematics and biogeography of the genus Phalloceros Eigenmann, 1907 (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae: Poeciliinae), with the description of twenty-one new species. Neotropical Ichthyology 6(2): 113-158 [121].

Introduction

Often misidentified as Gambusia sp.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Known from Perth (31°57'S, 115°55'E), Sydney (33°43'S, 151°19'E), Trephina Gorge Nature Park, East MacDonnell Ranges, 85 kilometres east of Alice Springs, and south of Adelaide (35°24'S, 138° 35'E), also introduced into Lake Eyre drainage, apparently unsuccessfully; tropical, temperate.

Introduced from South America, via aquarium trade.

IBRA

NSW, NT, SA, WA: Jarrah Forest (JF), Kanmantoo (KAN), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Sydney Basin (SB), Swan Coastal Plain (SWA)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore, pelagic.

General References

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [365]

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [340]

Rowley, J.J.L., Rayner, T.S. & Pyke, G.H. 2005. New records and invasive potential of the poeciliid fish Phalloceros caudimaculatus. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 39(5): 1013-1022

Trendall, J.T. & Johnson, M.S. 1981. Identification by anatomy and gel electrophoresis of Phalloceros caudimaculatus (Poeciliidae), previously mistaken for Gambusia affinis holbrooki (Poeciliidae). Australian Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 32(6): 993-996

Wager, R. & Unmack, P.J. 2000. Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia. Brisbane : Department of Primary Industries and Queensland Fisheries Service 88 pp. [64]

Common Name References

Corfield, J., Diggles, B., Jubb, C., McDowall, R.M., Moore, A., Richards, A. & Rowe, D.K. 2008. Review of the impacts of introduced ornamental fish species that have established wild populations in Australia. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 277 pp. [212] (Caudo)

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [340] (One-spot Livebearer)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum pp. 394. [365]) (Speckled Mosquitofish)

History of changes

• Poecilia Bloch, M.E. & Schneider, J.G. 1801. Systema Ichthyologiae Iconibus ex Illustratum. Berlin 584 pp. 110 pls. [452].

  Type species:

   Poecilia vivipara Bloch & Schneider, 1801 by subsequent designation, see Bleeker, P. 1863. Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises, publié sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial néerlandais. Tome 3. Cyprins. Amsterdam : Fréd. Müller 150 pp. pls 102-144. [140].

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Freshwaters of New World tropics (east Pacific, west Atlantic and Caribbean).

IBRA

NT, Qld, SA, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Carnarvon (CAR), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT) ; Qld: Pilbara (PIL)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater, Cocos (Keeling) Islands terrestrial & freshwater, Norfolk Island terrestrial & freshwater

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls.

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Kottelat, M. 2013. The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 27: 1-663 [300]

History of changes

• Mollienisia latipinna Lesueur, C.A. 1821. Description of a new genus, and several species of fresh water fish, indigenous to the United States. Journal of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia 2(1): 2-8 [3, pl. 3].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) MNHP B.929, Lake Pontchartrain, New Orleans, Louisiana.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Upper reaches of Fortescue River, NW of Newman, WA (23º09'S, 120º04"E), Brisbane (27º26'S) and Hervey Bay (25º17'S), QLD, also recorded from Majors Creek, south of Townsville and east of Darwin, NT, however current status of these populations is unknown; tropical.

Introduced from North America, via aquarium trade.

IBRA

Qld: Pilbara (PIL), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore, pelagic.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214]

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [366]

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

McKay, R.J. 1984. Introductions of exotic fishes in Australia. pp. 177-199 in Courtnay, W.R. Jr & Staffer, J.R. Jr (eds). Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes. Baltimore : John Hopkins University Press.

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214] (Sailfin Molly)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Sailfin Molly)

History of changes

• Poecilia reticulata Peters, W.C.H. 1859. Eine neue vor und fügte Mittheilungen über einige andere neue Fische des Zoologischen Museums. Monatsberichte der Königlichen Preussischen Akademie der Wissenschaften zu Berlin 1859: 411-413 [412].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BMNH 1866.6.6.3, Caracas, Venezuela; ZMB 3468, Caracas, Venezuela.

Distribution

States

Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

North West Cape, WA (22º07'S), vicinty of Darwin (130º51'S) and Gove Peninsula (136º47'E), NT, Cairns (16º55´S) to Brisbane (27º28´S), QLD, and recently recorded north of Robe, SA (37º01'S), also Cocos (Keeling) Islands, Christmas Island and Norfolk Island; tropical.

Introduced from South America via aquarium trade.

IBRA

NT, Qld, SA, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Carnarvon (CAR), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Einasleigh Uplands (EIU), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater, Cocos (Keeling) Islands terrestrial & freshwater, Norfolk Island terrestrial & freshwater

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore, pelagic.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214]

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [366]

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Lake, J.S. 1971. Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia. Melbourne : Nelson 61 pp.

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [339]

Common Name References

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [339] (Guppy)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Guppy)

History of changes

• Xiphophorus Heckel, J. 1848. Eine neue Gattung von Poecilien mit rochenartigem Anklammerungs-Organe. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 1: 289-303 [291].

  Type species:

   Xiphophorus hellerii Heckel, 1848 by subsequent designation, see Bleeker, P. 1863. Atlas Ichthyologique des Indes Orientales Néerlandaises, publié sous les auspices du Gouvernement colonial néerlandais. Tome 3. Cyprins. Amsterdam : Fréd. Müller 150 pp. pls 102-144. [140].

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Fresh waters of New World tropics (east Pacific and west Atlantic).

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT) ; NSW, NT, Qld, WA: Sydney Basin (SB)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls.

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp.

Kottelat, M. 2013. The fishes of the inland waters of southeast Asia: a catalogue and core bibliography of the fishes known to occur in freshwaters, mangroves and estuaries. Raffles Bulletin of Zoology Supplement 27: 1-663 [300]

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs.

History of changes

• Xiphophorus hellerii Heckel, J. 1848. Eine neue Gattung von Poecilien mit rochenartigem Anklammerungs-Organe. Sitzungsberichte der Akademie der Wissenschaften in Wien 1: 289-303 [291, pl. 8 (figs 1-3)].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) NHMW 60543, Orizaba, Mexico.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Extra Distribution Information

Barron River, Cairns (16º53'S), and scattered localities along QLD coast to Burringbar Creek, northern NSW (28º26'S), also Nhulunbuy (136º47'E), Darwin (130º50'E) and Alice Springs (23º49'S, 133º44'E), NT, and recently recorded from Irwin River (29º13'S), near Geraldton, WA, and northeast of Robe, SA (37º01'S, 139º58'E); tropical.

Introduced from Mexico via aquarium trade.

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld, SA, WA: Arnhem Coast (ARC), Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Geraldton Sandplains (GS), MacDonnell Ranges (MAC), Naracoorte Coastal Plain (NCP), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore, pelagic.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214]

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [367]

Corfield, J., Diggles, B., Jubb, C., McDowall, R.M., Moore, A., Richards, A. & Rowe, D.K. 2008. Review of the impacts of introduced ornamental fish species that have established wild populations in Australia. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 277 pp. [20]

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Lake, J.S. 1971. Freshwater Fishes and Rivers of Australia. Melbourne : Nelson 61 pp.

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [340]

Wager, R. & Unmack, P.J. 2000. Fishes of the Lake Eyre Catchment of Central Australia. Brisbane : Department of Primary Industries and Queensland Fisheries Service 88 pp. [64]

Common Name References

Merrick, J.R. & Schmida, G.E. 1984. Australian Freshwater Fishes Biology and Management. Sydney : J.R. Merrick 409 pp. figs 280 col. figs. [340] (Swordtail)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Swordtail)

History of changes

• Platypoecilus maculatus Günther, A. 1866. Catalogue of the Fishes of the British Museum. Catalogue of the Physostomi, containing the families Salmonidae, Percopsidae, Galaxidae, Mormyridae, Gymnarchidae, Esocidae, Umbridae, Scombresocidae, Cyprinodontidae, in the collection of the British Museum. London : British Museum Vol. 6 368 pp. [350].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) BMNH 1857.7.31.11-12, Mexico.

Distribution

States

New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Scattered locations along QLD coast from tributaries of the Barron River, Cairns (16º55'S) to Nerang River, Gold Coast (28º02'S), also recorded from Medowie, NSW (32º44'S), Darwin, NT (130º50'E) and Christmas Island; tropical.

Introduced from Mexico via aquarium trade.

IBRA

NSW, NT, Qld: Brigalow Belt North (BBN), Central Mackay Coast (CMC), Darwin Coastal (DAC), Sydney Basin (SB), South Eastern Queensland (SEQ), Wet Tropics (WT)

Other Regions

Christmas Island terrestrial & freshwater

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater, omnivore, pelagic.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214]

Allen, G.R., Midgley, S.H. & Allen, M. 2002. Field Guide to the Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Perth : Western Australian Museum 394 pp. [367]

Corfield, J., Diggles, B., Jubb, C., McDowall, R.M., Moore, A., Richards, A. & Rowe, D.K. 2008. Review of the impacts of introduced ornamental fish species that have established wild populations in Australia. Prepared for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts. 277 pp. [20]

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

McKay, R.J. 1984. Introductions of exotic fishes in Australia. pp. 177-199 in Courtnay, W.R. Jr & Staffer, J.R. Jr (eds). Distribution, Biology and Management of Exotic Fishes. Baltimore : John Hopkins University Press.

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214] (Platy)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (Platy)

History of changes

Introduction

The family Cyprinodontidae is native to the Americas and northern Africa (Nelson 1994). Species are commonly found in fresh waters, but many tolerate a wide range of salinities with some species common in coastal marine environments. About nine genera and 100 species are known. Only a single species has been found in the wild in Australia (Webb 2007), but others are likely to be found because of their popularity in the aquarium trade. Cyprinodontids have external fertilisation. They are generally small in size, usually less than 10 cm.

Parenti (1981) discussed relationships.

General References

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp.

Parenti, L.R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 168(4): 335-557

Webb, A.C. 2007. Status of non-native freshwater fishes in tropical northern Queensland, including establishment success, rates of spread, range and introduction pathways. Journal and Proceedings of the Royal Society of New South Wales 140: 63–78

Common Name References

Nelson, J.S. 1994. Fishes of the World. New York : John Wiley & Sons 600 pp. [277] (Pupfishes)

History of changes

• Jordanella Goode, G.B. & Bean, T.H. in Goode, G.B. 1879. A preliminary catalogue of the fishes of the St. John's River and the east coast of Florida, with descriptions of a new genus and three new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 2(73): 108-121 [117].

  Type species:

   Jordanella floridae Good & Bean, 1879 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

West Atlantic (eastern North America).

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

General References

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Parenti, L.R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 168(4): 335-557

History of changes

• Jordanella floridae Goode, G.B. & Bean, T.H. in Goode, G.B. 1879. A preliminary catalogue of the fishes of the St. John's River and the east coast of Florida, with descriptions of a new genus and three new species. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 2(73): 108-121 [117].

  Type data:

   Syntype(s) USNM 18062, Lake Monroe, Florida, U.S.A.

Distribution

States

Queensland

Extra Distribution Information

Recorded from Harvey Creek, south of Cairns, QLD (17º15'S), but may not have established a breeding population (see Webb 2007); tropical.

Introduced from United States via aquarium trade.

IBRA

Qld: Wet Tropics (WT)

Distribution References

Ecological Descriptors

Freshwater.

General References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls.

Harris, J.H. 2013. 11. Fishes from elsewhere. pp. 259-282 in Humphries, P. & Walker, K. (eds). Ecology of Australian Freshwater Fishes. Collingwood, Victoria : CSIRO Publishing 423 pp. [265]

Common Name References

Allen, G.R. 1989. Freshwater Fishes of Australia. Neptune, New Jersey : T.F.H. Publications 240 pp., 63 pls. [214] (American Flagfish)

Seafood Services Australia 2008. Australian Fish Names Standard. http://www.fishnames.com.au/. (American Flagfish)

History of changes