Least Killifish?

[Jade107]

There are tons of ponds around my neighborhood that are filled with these fish. But I have heard that they aren't really killifish? their livebearers? I was getting a snail with a cup once, and accidently caught two fry. I decided to just add them in with the molly fry and I think they are full grown now, and one appears to be pregnant. So, are they livebearers or killifish? do they eat their own fry? If they don't what do I do with the fry?

 

[fish48]

Heterandria formosa
popular name mosquito fish from being used to control mosquito's. This tiny fish is one of the smallest livebearers kept in an aquarium. male 20mm female 30mm. colour is brown in both sexes. Location s. Carolina.Georgia & Florida. it is easy to keep and breed if feed Live food. I keep them and their fry in an 10x10x10 tank. with java moss for the fry to hide in temp 70-75f-they will soon breed in these conditions female drops 2 or 3 fry daily for a week or 10 days. they will not eat the fry if well feed.
best kept in species tank.


female

 

[trojannemo]

Heterandria formosa
popular name mosquito fish from being used to control mosquito's. This tiny fish is one of the smallest livebearers kept in an aquarium. male 20mm female 30mm. colour is brown in both sexes. Location s. Carolina.Georgia & Florida. it is easy to keep and breed if feed Live food. I keep them and their fry in an 10x10x10 tank. with java moss for the fry to hide in temp 70-75f-they will soon breed in these conditions female drops 2 or 3 fry daily for a week or 10 days. they will not eat the fry if well feed.
best kept in species tank.

View attachment 58489
female

Mosquitofish are Gambusia sp., either Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), or Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Heterandria formosa's common name is Least Killifish.
They are both killifish and livebearers, and from my understanding one of the smallest livebearers you can find. in the wild they are always found with Gambusia sp. (at least down here in south florida), so perhaps that's where you're getting confused.

i find them pretty drab in coloration but a lot of members in my club are fascinated by these fish? have fun with them!

 

[fish48]

Heterandria formosa
popular name mosquito fish from being used to control mosquito's. This tiny fish is one of the smallest livebearers kept in an aquarium. male 20mm female 30mm. colour is brown in both sexes. Location s. Carolina.Georgia & Florida. it is easy to keep and breed if feed Live food. I keep them and their fry in an 10x10x10 tank. with java moss for the fry to hide in temp 70-75f-they will soon breed in these conditions female drops 2 or 3 fry daily for a week or 10 days. they will not eat the fry if well feed.
best kept in species tank.

View attachment 58489
female

Mosquitofish are Gambusia sp., either Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), or Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Heterandria formosa's common name is Least Killifish.
They are both killifish and livebearers, and from my understanding one of the smallest livebearers you can find. in the wild they are always found with Gambusia sp. (at least down here in south florida), so perhaps that's where you're getting confused.

i find them pretty drab in coloration but a lot of members in my club are fascinated by these fish? have fun with them!

 

[fish48]

Heterandria formosa
popular name mosquito fish from being used to control mosquito's. This tiny fish is one of the smallest livebearers kept in an aquarium. male 20mm female 30mm. colour is brown in both sexes. Location s. Carolina.Georgia & Florida. it is easy to keep and breed if feed Live food. I keep them and their fry in an 10x10x10 tank. with java moss for the fry to hide in temp 70-75f-they will soon breed in these conditions female drops 2 or 3 fry daily for a week or 10 days. they will not eat the fry if well feed.
best kept in species tank.

View attachment 58489
female

Mosquitofish are Gambusia sp., either Eastern Mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki), or Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis). Heterandria formosa's common name is Least Killifish.
They are both killifish and livebearers, and from my understanding one of the smallest livebearers you can find. in the wild they are always found with Gambusia sp. (at least down here in south florida), so perhaps that's where you're getting confused.

i find them pretty drab in coloration but a lot of members in my club are fascinated by these fish? have fun with them!

the most popular common name for Heterandria formosa in the uk. is mosquito fish

 

[trojannemo]

that's strange...then what is the common name for Gambusia sp.?

 

[helterskelter]

Their both known as mosquito fish in the UK

H. formsa is a livebearer and yes the second smallest livebearer, and i belive the 5 or 6th type of fish in the world.

Gambusia's are often referred to by the latin name in the UK as their over 40 species altogether and only one Heterandria.

 

[dunchp]

I know if you go to fishbase, you will come up with over 40 species of Gambusia, but some of them were once Gambusia and have been reclassified to something else. Many of the others are critically endangered, extinct or illegal to be in possession of (due to the fact that they are critically endangered).

Since Jade lives in Florida (I believe) it is quite likely that we are talking about Heterandria formosa rather than Gambusia affinis. There are another 8 or 9 Heterandria species but they are all very different to Heterandria formosa.

The common name for Gambusia species depends on the species and depending on where you live. The name Gambusia actually means 'nothing' or 'worthless' in Cuba.

 

[OldMan47]

The only crossover that I have seen between 'killie fish' and livebearers is the Heterandria formosa. Accidentally catching two in a cup while trying to snag a snail also sounds like our little friends, the Heterandria formosa. One of the reasons that we refer to fish by their scientific names is to avoid just this kind of confusion. The least killies, are not killies at all, they are Poeciliids called Heterandria formosa. Mosquito fish in the U.S. refer to two different species of Gambusia along with the Heterandria formosa. Even guppies are known as mosquito fish in some places because they were introduced there to try to control mosquitoes. The fact that they have decimated local populations of other small fish and do no better job at controlling mosquitoes is irrelevant. The name stuck.

 

[helterskelter]

The reason the refered to as killi is the fact that their under the "ORDER CYPRINODONTIFORMES"

Which classifies both livebearers and killis which again is also referred to as "toothcarps"

The Belensoex is another livebearer some times referred to as a killi "Pike Killifish"


Again this is why using the latin names saves hassels.