Poeciliopsis sonoriensis
| Sonora topminnow | |
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| Poeciliopsis sonoriensis (Girard, 1859)
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Poeciliopsis sonoriensis, commonly known as the Yaqui topminnow or Sonora topminnow, is a species of fish native to the American southwest and Northern Mexico.[1][2][3]
Description
The Yaqui topminnow has an elongated and slightly curved body. Males are rarely over 25 mm (1 in) and they are smaller than females, which can sometimes be 50 mm (2 in)[4]. The species is closely related to the Charalito (Poeciliopsis occidentalis). Poeciliopsis sonoriensis can be distinguished from Poeciliopsis occidentalis by their superior mouth, longer snout, and the lateral bands of the female, which rarely develop before the bases of the pelvic fins.[4]
Biology
The topminnow has a lifespan that is determined by when they reach sexual maturity, which may only be a few weeks. Their breeding season can last from January through August. The males places spermatophores into the female. The females can carry two broods at once, and their brood size can be from 6 to 49 young with a 12-15 day gestation period.[4]
This species can be found living at lowland and some upland streams, they usually live near the surface in shallow water and they are often associated with aquatic vegetation.[5] Topminnows are omnivorous, and usually eat detritus, algae, and aquatic invertebrates.
References
- ^ FWS.gov
- ^ Arkive
- ^ Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.) (2013). "Poeciliopsis sonoriensis" in FishBase. April 2013 version.
- ^ a b c Minckley, W.L. 1973. Fishes of Arizona. Arizona Game and Fish Department, Phoenix. pp. 199-202.
- ^ Rinne, J.N. and W.L. Minckley. 1991. Native fishes of arid lands: a dwindling resource of the desert southwest. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, General Technical Report RM-206. Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station, Fort Collins, Colorado. pp. 26-27.