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Mosquito Fish
SCIENTIFIC NAMES: (i) Gambuoia affinisaffinis; (ii) Gambusia affinis holbrooki. DESIGNATION: Tropical and Coldwater. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: G. affinis affiniswas originally confined to Texas while G. a.holbrooki originated in southeastern USA.Now much more widely distributed, SIZE: Males around 3 cm (1.2 in) or evensmaller; females up to 6.5 cm (2.5 in). WATER PREFERENCES: Extremely widetemperature and chemical conditionstolerated. DIET: Will eat almost anything that is ediblebut particularly partial to aquatic livefoods.BREEDING: As in many other members of thePoeciliinae, up to 60 or more fry can be produced by large females. This species isvery aggressive and predatory. Therefore,good cover for the fry is absolutely essential. DESCRIPTION: The ratheraggressive nature of this versatile, hardyspecies means that it is unsuitable for mixedcommunities. Both subspecies have beenintroduced into tropical and subtropical areaswhere their voracious appetite makes themideal for controlling malaria mosquito larvae,hence the common name. Of the twosubspecies, G. a. holbrooki has been usedmore widely for this purpose. Another species of livebearer, H'eterandriaFormosa, is also known as the Mosquito Fish.However, this latter species has never beenintroduced into malaria-affected regions as ameans of biological control. G. affinis is an extremely hardy andadaptable species which is suitable both forunheated and tropical aquaria. I havecollected specimens in temperatures as low as10°C (c. 40°F) in Spain and have recordedtheir presence in water above 30°C (c. 85°F)in the Far East in habitats ranging fromclear, brackish ditches to muddy, pollutedpools. The two subspecies are virtually indistin-guishable from each other. However, G. a.holbrooki can produce melanic (black) andxanthistic (yellow or partially yellow) males.In addition, this subspecies has a highernumber of dorsal fin rays (8 or 9 as oppOsed to6 or 7). The best diagnostic feature is onlyvisible when the gonopodium is examinedunder the microscope. Ray No. 3, inparticular, has spines in G. a. holbrooki but is smooth in G. a. affinis. |
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COMMON NAME: Mosquito Fish.