Review Article Review of the Livebearer Fishes of Iran (Family Poeciliidae)
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Iran. J. Ichthyol. (December 2017), 4(4): 305–330 Received: June 23, 2017 © 2017 Iranian Society of Ichthyology Accepted: August 11, 2017 P-ISSN: 2383-1561; E-ISSN: 2383-0964 doi: 10.7508/iji.2016.02.015 http://www.ijichthyol.org Review Article Review of the livebearer fishes of Iran (Family Poeciliidae) Brian W. COAD Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 6P4 Canada. Email: [email protected] Abstract: The systematics, morphology, distribution, biology and economic importance of the livebearers of Iran are described, the species are illustrated, and a bibliography on these fishes in Iran is provided. There are four species including Gambusia holbrooki, Poecilia latipinna, P. reticulata and Xiphophorus hellerii. All of these species are exotics. Keywords: Biology, Morphology, Gambusia, Poecilia, Xiphophorus. Citation: Coad B.W. 2017. Review of the livebearer fishes of Iran (Family Poeciliidae). Iranian Journal of Ichthyology 4(4): 305-330. Introduction Other examples of poeciliids available in Iran The freshwater ichthyofauna of Iran comprises a and potential escapees are the molly, Poecilia diverse set of about 288 species in 107 genera, 28 sphenops Valenciennes, 1846 (e.g., Rabiei & Ziaei families, 22 orders and 3 classes (Esmaeili et al. Nejad 2013; Moghaddam et al. 2014; Pour et al. 2017a). These form important elements of the aquatic 2014), the southern platyfish, Xiphophorus ecosystem and a number of species are of maculatus (Günther, 1866) (e.g., Shoaibi Omrani et commercial or other significance. The literature on al. 2010; Tarkhani & Imanpoor 2012; Sadeghi & these fishes is widely scattered, both in time and Imanpour 2015; Alishahi et al. 2016) and the variable place. Summaries of the morphology and biology of platyfish, Xiphophorus variatus (Meek, 1904) (e.g., these species were given in a website (www.brian Faghani-Langroudi et al. 2014). Poeciliids serve as a coad.com) which is updated here for one family, paradigm for exotic aquarium fish introductions in while the relevant section of that website is now Iran. They compete with native fishes for food and closed down. Other families will also be addressed in living space, and carry exotic parasites (e.g., see a similar fashion. Sahandi et al. 2012; Momeni Shahraki et al. 2014; ArchiveShafiei of et al. 2014SID; Adel et al. 2015; Mirzaei 2015; Family Poeciliidae Raissy et al. 2015; Salemi et al. 2015; Mirzaei et al. Poeciliids, including the livebearers, are found in 2016). These parasite records are from aquarium fresh and brackish waters from the eastern United specimens but indicate the potential for infection of States south through the Caribbean to northeastern native fishes. Kiani et al. (2016) reported the cholera Argentina and in Africa. There are about 42 genera pathogen from fish farms at Kashan. with about 353 species (Nelson et al. 2016). One (or This family is characterised by an anteriorly two) species of livebearer has been widely introduced rounded and posteriorly compressed body and a around the world as a control agent for malaria and is depressed head, large cycloid scales on the head and found in Iran, along with three released aquarium body, supraorbital pores with neuromasts in fleshy species. grooves, a small, terminal mouth with the lower jaw 305 www.SID.ir Iran. J. Ichthyol. (December 2017), 4(4): 305-330 Fig.1. Gambusia affinis, Duane Raver, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. projecting, teeth incisor-like or villiform on the jaws, business, such as the guppy and swordtail, while the gill membranes free from the isthmus, 4-6 mosquitofish has been used world-wide as a predator branchiostegals, no spiny fin rays, a small dorsal fin, on aquatic mosquito larvae, the adult fly being a pectoral fins set high on the side (in contrast to carrier of malaria. Kashan in central Iran has more Cyprinodontidae), anterior pelvic fins, no adipose than 1,500 fish farms which produce over 40% of the fin, and the anal fin in males is developed into a ornamental fishes in Iran (Mousavi-Sabet & Eagderi copulatory organ with rays 3-5 modified while 2014). Livebearers have also been used extensively females have a rounded anal fin (in livebearers only, in genetics research, research on tumours, in the species found in Iran, in contrast to immunology, and in environmentally-based studies. Cyprinodontidae). Maximum size is 20cm. Some such studies carried out in Iran are cited here, The gonopodium is used for transferring sperm but this is not an exhaustive survey as this paper is packets into the female. It is moveable to the side or concerned with biology in the natural environment forward to allow copulation to occur. The sperm rather than under laboratory conditions. packets release sperm when placed in the female and Some livebearers are all-female species and egg some can be stored for future use. Details of development is stimulated by spermatozoa from gonopodium anatomy are important in identifying another species, without any genetic contribution. and classifying species. The gonopodium is Young are identical to the mother. This unusual form composed primarily of the third, fourth and fifth anal of reproduction is called gynogenesis. Others have rays with various hooks, serrae and spines. Young are superfetation where eggs are at different develop- born alive, a condition knownArchive as ovoviviparity where mental of stages SIDwithin the mother and are born over a the eggs develop and hatch in the mother. period of several days rather than all at once. Livebearers are found in habitats from mountain streams to brackish coastal marshes and river Genus Gambusia Poey, 1854 mouths. Food is mostly encrusting algae and the This genus contains about 45 species and is associated, small invertebrates. Males tend to be characterised by large scales, short dorsal and anal smaller than females and more brightly coloured. fins, the anal fin in males anteriorly placed and These colours are best seen during the courtship modified into a long intromittent organ (or display. Males tend to have reduced growth rates gonopodium), dorsal fin inserted behind the anal fin when reaching maturity. origin (in contrast to Aphanius, Cyprinodontidae), Certain species are important in the aquarium and dorsal and caudal fins are spotted. 306 www.SID.ir Coad-livebearer of Iran Fig.2. Line drawing of Gambusia holbrooki by S. Laurie-Bourque. Gambusia holbrooki was considered to be a Introduced populations world-wide are generally subspecies of Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard, referred to the taxon holbrooki. 1853). Iranian mosquitofish are G. holbrooki but it is Key characters: This species is differentiated from possible that some populations consist of G. affinis the sailfin molly by the lower number of dorsal fin although none were seen by me or by Holčík & Oláh rays and from it and other poeciliids in Iran by their (1992). Shakirova & Sukhanova (1994) report this colour patterns. Males are easily recognised by the species from the Atrek River in Turkmenistan, which anal fin rays 3-5 being specially modified into an flows into Iran, as well as Kopetdag streams on the elongate gonopodium for intromittent fertilisation. northern border of Iran. However, identification of Gambusia holbrooki has 8 dorsal and 11 anal total fin these taxa may be confused. The source of most (? rays while G. affinis has 6-7 dorsal and 10 anal total all) Middle East mosquitofish is Europe and Kottelat fin rays (Walters & Freeman 2000). & Freyhof (2007) record that there is no confirmed Morphology: Dorsal fin with 5-9 rays, usually 7 (with presence of G. affinis in Europe. the last two counted as one), anal fin with 7-11 rays, usually 10, and pectoral fin with 11-14 rays. Lateral Gambusia holbrooki Girard, 1859 scale rows number 25-33. In males, the posterior (Figs. 2-3) surface of the third anal fin ray (first ray of the Common names: Gambusia. [Gambuzi, zoory, zurry gonopodium) is serrated (smooth in affinis), the or zurri in Arabic; gambuziya in Azerbaijan; cusps of the posterior branch of the second elongate gambuziya in Russian; mosquitofish; eastern ray are short and almost straight (long and curved in mosquitofish (for holbrookiArchive, western mosquitofish affinis of), and theSID apical hook of the posterior branch for affinis); plague minnow, in reference to its of this ray is short with 2-3 joints (very long with 4- ecological impact]. 6 joints). Vertebrae 28-34. The karyotype is 2n=48. Systematics: Gambusia holbrooki was originally Detailed counts on Iranian specimens were not made; described from eastern Florida and South Carolina, examination of cleared and stained material indicates U.S.A. Wooten et al. (1988) distinguish the eastern that the species in Iran and Iraq is G. holbrooki. and western mosquitofish in the U.S.A. based on Sedaghat et al. (2012) compared summer and morphology, biochemistry and distribution. autumn samples from the Dinor River, Kermanshah However, extensive hybridization occurs in the for 8 meristic and 28 morphometric characters and native habitat and the composition of all the found seasonal morphometric differences in females. introduced Iranian populations has not been studied. Sexual dimorphism: Males reach a smaller adult size 307 www.SID.ir Iran. J. Ichthyol. (December 2017), 4(4): 305-330 Fig.3. Gambusia holbrooki from the Namak Lake basin, courtesy of H.R. Esmaeili. than females (see below). Males have the end of the additional samples were collected in 1966 for anal fin base well ahead of the beginning of the dorsal introduction around the country via raising ponds to fin. Females lack a gonopodium and the end of the over 3,000 permanent water bodies (Tabibzadeh et al. anal fin is under the beginning of the dorsal fin. In 1970a, 1970b; Spillman 1972; Emadi 1996) addition various morphometric characters differ including marshes, ponds, lakes, qanats, streams and widely (see Abdurakhmanov (1962) for details).