Contributions to Zoology, 74 (1/2) 97-115 (2005) Description of Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) wingei n. sp. from the Paría Peninsula, Venezuela, including notes on Acanthophacelus Eigenmann, 1907 and other subgenera of Poecilia Bloch and Schneider, 1801 (Teleostei, Cyprinodontiformes, Poeciliidae) Fred. N. Poeser1, Michael Kempkes2, Isaäc J. H. Isbrücker1 1 Zoological Museum Amsterdam, University of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94766, 1090 GT, Amsterdam, The Nether- lands, e-mail:
[email protected]; 2 Am Mühlenberg 25, D-46419 Isselburg – Anholt, Germany Keywords: Guppies, Poecilia reticulata, P. wingei, melanophore patterns, character displacement, Paría Peninsula, despeciation Abstract Remarks on the 'Endler’s live-bearer' ...................................... 113 Acknowledgements ..................................................................... 114 The taxonomy of the common guppy, Poecilia reticulata Peters, References ..................................................................................... 114 1859, is reviewed and the closely related Campoma guppy, P. wingei n. sp., is described. Formerly, the common guppy was not judged to be closely related to any other species of Poecilia, but Introduction the new species is the second species to be allocated in the sub- genus Acanthophacelus Eigenmann, 1907. The recognition of P. wingei results from observed character displacement, i.e., on the The common guppy, Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859, interaction between two closely related species in a shared envi- has a long history as