A New Species of Poeciliid Fish of the Genus Poecilia from Hispaniola, with Reinstatement and Redescription of P
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Northeast Gulf Science Volume 2 Article 2 Number 2 Number 2 12-1978 A New Species of Poeciliid Fish of the Genus Poecilia from Hispaniola, with Reinstatement and Redescription of P. dominicensis (Evermann and Clark) Luis R. Rivas National Marine Fisheries Service DOI: 10.18785/negs.0202.02 Follow this and additional works at: https://aquila.usm.edu/goms Recommended Citation Rivas, L. R. 1978. A New Species of Poeciliid Fish of the Genus Poecilia from Hispaniola, with Reinstatement and Redescription of P. dominicensis (Evermann and Clark). Northeast Gulf Science 2 (2). Retrieved from https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol2/iss2/2 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by The Aquila Digital Community. It has been accepted for inclusion in Gulf of Mexico Science by an authorized editor of The Aquila Digital Community. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Rivas: A New Species of Poeciliid Fish of the Genus Poecilia from Hispan Northeast Gulf Science Vol. 2, No.2, p. 98-112 December 1978 A NEW S.!>ECIES OF POECILIID FISH OF THE GENUS Poecilia FROM HISPANIOLA, WITH REINSTATEMENT AND REDESCRIPTION OF P. dominicensis (EVERMANN AND CLARK)1 Luis R. Rivas National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration National Marine Fisheries Service Southeast Fisheries Center Miami Laboratory 7 5 Virginia Beach Drive Miami, FL 3 3149 ABSTRACT: Exploration of the streams and lakes of Hispaniola and available collections of poeciliid fishes from that island are discussed, followed by the taxonomic history and generic status of .the two species described. The genera Limia and Mollienesia were synonymized with Poe cilia by Rosen and Bailey (1963) and the former Mollienesia dominicensis of Evermann and Clark (1906) became a junior homonym of Limia dominicensis of Valenciennes (1846). Rosen and Bailey, therefore, renamed M. dominicensis of Evermann and Clark as Poecilia montana. Because Mollienesia is het·ein retained as a synonym of Poe cilia but Limia is reinstated as a valid genus, Poe cilia dominicensis of Evermann and Clark is no longer a junior homonym of Limia dominicensis of Valenciennes. The name montana, therefore, becomes a junior ob jective synonym of Eyermann and Clark's dominicensis. The new species herein described, although available to previous authors, had been hitherto conf'used with Poe cilia dominicensis of Evermann and Clark. Both species are superficially similar but clearly distinct and more closely related to each other than either is to any of the other species of Poecilia. They are restricted to the island of Hispaniola and show character displacement in the several localities where they occur together. Before the late forties and early University of Miami Department of fifties, little was known about the Zoology (now Biology) where I was poeciliid fishes of Hispaniola and only a Curator of Fishes at that time. few lots of specimens were available in These expeditions resulted in the museums. Most of the few localities coverage of most of the lakes and stream previously collected were restricted to systems of Hispaniola, including all the vicinities of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, localities previously reported in the or Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, literature, and in the discovery of and most of the river systems of the several undescribed species of poeciliid island remained unexplored .. fishes. During April, 1949, I conducted an Only two of the new poeciliids, expedition to the Dominican Republic Gambusia pseudopunctata (Rivas, 1969) to obtain specimens, especially poeciliids, and G. hispaniolae (Fink, 1971) have from previously unexplored streams. Sub been published and Mollienesia=Poecilia sequently, in April, 1951, I conducted elegans (Trewavas, 1948) was designated another expedition, this time to Haiti, the type species of a new genus, for the same purpose. Both of these Curtipenis=Poecilia by Rivas and Myers expeditions were sponsored by the (1950) on the basis of additional material collected during my 1949 Hispaniola !Contribution number 78-52M, Southeast expedition. Further than that, study and Fisheries Center, Miami Laboratory. publication of the remaining new species 98 Published by The Aquila Digital Community, 1978 1 Gulf of Mexico Science, Vol. 2 [1978], No. 2, Art. 2 New poecilliid fish 99 and the extensive material collected the last two rays, regardless of their could not be continued because of other degree of separation, are always counted commitments. Four of the new species as a single ray. All pectoral fin rays are belong to the genus Linlia and will be counted. described in a preliminary review of the Proportional body measurements in genus now in preparation (see below on relation to standard length are omitted status of Limia). The other, a new for reasons discussed by Hubqs and species of Poecilia, is described herein. Springer (1957) and Rivas (1963; 1969). In poeciliid fishes there is considerable MATERIALS AND METHODS variation in these characters individually, ontogenetically, seasonally, geographical The new species of Poecilia described ly, and environmentally and, therefore, in this paper is based on 461 adult they are of little or no value in distin males, 860 undeveloped males, 791 guishing species. Fin measurements and adult females, and 2,600 juveniles for a the relative position of fins may be total of 4,712 specimens from 14 better expressed quantitatively by in localities. The holotype and a series of dicating their magnitude in relation to paratypes have been deposited in the one another, their relative position to National Museum of Natural History one another, or their position and extent (USNM). Series of paratypes have been in relation to points of reference. This deposited in the Museum of Com procedure has been followed in the de parative Zoology (MCZ), the Museum scriptions, under the section dealing of Zoology University of Michigan with morphological characters. In the (UMMZ), and the Florida State Museum description of the new species the (FSM). Poecilia dominicensis (montana meristic characters for the holotype are of Rosen and Bailey, 1963; see below) given first followed in parentheses by previously known only from the female those of the male and female paratypes. holotype and two female paratypes is redescribed from 108 adult males, 85 TAXONOMIC HISTORY AND undeveloped males, 233 adult females, GENERIC STATUS and 316 juveniles for a total of 7 42 specimens from eight localities. Series The new species described below of specimens have been deposited in the belongs to the group of poeciliid fishes USNM, the MCZ, the UMMZ, and the formerly placed in the genus Mollienesia FSM. and hitherto represented by only two Gonopodial characters are self-ex species in Hispaniola. The first species; planatory or named and counted as pre was described as Platypoecilus domini viously described (Rivas, 1963). Scales censis by Evermann and Clark (1906) are counted according to methods and the second as Mollienesia elegans, described by Miller (1948). In the dorsal by Trewavas (1948). Platypoecilus and anal fins the last two rays are, in dominicensis was erroneously synony some specimens, very close set and mized with Poecilia dominicensis Val appear as a single ray, branched, or split, enciennes (1846) by Regan (1913) to the base. In other specimens, the who placed both species in the genus last two rays are distinctly separate but Limia. Subsequently, however, Myers still close to each other. For these reasons, (1931) correctly indicated that https://aquila.usm.edu/goms/vol2/iss2/2 2 DOI: 10.18785/negs.0202.02 Rivas: A New Species of Poeciliid Fish of the Genus Poecilia from Hispan 100 L. R. Rivas Platypoecilus dominicensis was not a following paragraphs. Limia but a distinct, valid species of Other than introductory philosophical Mollienesia and placed it in that genus remarks on the taxonomic role of genera to stand as M. dominicensis (Evermann as indicators of relationships, Rosen and and Clark). Myers did not explain how Bailey did not give specific reasons to he came to this conclusion since the justify their synonymizing Limia with holotype of dominicensis is a female Poecilia (see critique by Rivas, 1965). and in the absence of adult males, fe It is significant, however, that Rosen and male poeciliids are difficult to identify Bailey retained Limia as a subgenus. as to genus and species. Nevertheless, As pointed out by Rosen and Bailey, with males now available for ascertaining the genus can and should serve to express generic relations and by comparing relationships. In keeping with this females of the new material descibed be observation, it seems to me that lumping low with the holotype of dominicensis Limia and Poecilia, rather than keeping (USNM 53277), I have confirmed them separate, would mask their affinities Myers' conclusions. Myers (1935) re and falsely indicate that they are more described and figured what he thought closely related than they really are. In was M. dominicensis but his description, further agreement with Rosen and figures, and material actually represent Bailey's other remarks, generic groups the species herein described as new. In should be constructed on similar stan that paper Myers also designated M. dards of morphological distinctiveness. dominicensis as the type species of This, however, would apply much better Psychropoecilia, a new subgenus of to Limia and Poecilia as separate genera Mollienesia. As to Mollienesia elegans, rather than as a consolidated generic previously known only from