The Fish Family Poeciliidae
The Poeciliids can only be found in America; from Southern New Jersey to
Eastern Texas to the south-eastern
United States, and Central America, including the islands of the
West Indies, southward to Northern Argentina.
The distribution of
Poeciliid species vary depending on the type of water they prefer. Some of them
like mollies can be found in bays and streams with brackish water. They can also be found in salt water of Florida. Swordtails and some Platies can be
found in fresh-water streams where different species inhabit in varying
positions within the same stream and rarely come into contact with one
another. The common Platy fish in its local home prefers small
slow-flowing rivulet where it be likely to remain at the edges among the
dense plants.
In spite of their differences, most common
aquarium Poeciliids are hardy in the ordinary home aquarium. They are
all suitable community tank fish and can be easily bred by aquarist.
Their biological preferences are important during breeding process.
With few exceptions these fishes swim in group near the water surface.
In the aquarium they spent great time in picking at rocks, glass and
plants seeking for food. They do quite well on a diet mostly
composed of good quality prepared dry fish food because they are
omnivores.
Poeciliidae family, is directly related
to the Cyprinodontidae family. These two families have some common characteristics including
the presence of teeth; head flattened on top, the mouth at the front of
the head and generally turned upward, lacking lateral line, rounded
caudal fin, large and round scales. For
livebearers, their teeth are mostly small and cannot be seen without
using a microscope and only after some dissection.
The Poeciliids are distinguished from the Cyprinodonts through its specially adapted anal fin which
serves to introduce the sperm containing fluid (Milt) into the female's
reproductive tract. Sex in certain fishes is very easily distinguished,
because all females have a normally rounded anal fin whereas all adult
males have a gonopodium.
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