Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Poeciliidae (Poeciliids) > Poeciliinae
Etymology: Gambusia: Gambusia: From the Cuban term, Gambusino, which means "nothing", usually in the context of a joke or a farce. Fishing for gambusinos = when one catches nothing (Ref. 45335).
More on author: Poey.
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; brackish; benthopelagic; non-migratory. Tropical; 26°C - 30°C (Ref. 26130)
Central America: throughout Cuba, Jamaica, Cayman Islands and Bahamas.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 3.6 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 13498); 5.5 cm SL (female)
Found in fresh, brackish and salt waters in coastal and lowland areas.
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
After about 24 days gestation, female gives birth to 10-40 young. Sexual maturity is reached after 3 or 4 months.
Lucinda, P.H.F., 2003. Poeciliidae (Livebearers). p. 555-581. In R.E. Reis, S.O. Kullander and C.J. Ferraris, Jr. (eds.) Checklist of the Freshwater Fishes of South and Central America. Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS, Brazil. (Ref. 50894)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-2 (Global))
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
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Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804) |
PD50 = 0.5000 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high]. |
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Bayesian length-weight
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a=0.01047 (0.00477 - 0.02296), b=3.14 (2.95 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245). |
Trophic level (Ref. 69278) |
3.2 ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives |
Resilience (Ref. 120179) |
High, minimum population doubling time less than 15 months (Preliminary K or Fecundity.). |
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153) |
Low to moderate vulnerability (28 of 100). 🛈 |