Introduction Topote de aleta grande Poecilia velifera is a native fish that is categorized as a threatened species according to the Official

Mexican Norm (NOM-ECOL-059-94). P. velifera is a livebearer that is resistant to diseases, easy to adapt, to handle, has a rapid growth rate (Navarro et al., 1988; Snchez et al., 1994), and is of great importance in the North American ornamental fish trade (Chapman et al., 1997). For example, during October, 1992, 167,255 units were sold to the United States, representing 1.1% of the imported, ornamental fish. Although P. velifera is widely distributed along the Yucatan Peninsula coast, including Mujeres and Cozumel Islands, in both brackish and freshwater (Miller, 1983; Chumba, 1984), it is interesting that the major exportation of P. velifera comes from countries in Southeast Asia: Malaysia (17%), Singapore (72%), Indonesia (9%), and Hong Kong (1%). The only New World source for P. velifera is Jamaica (1%). This study reports the results of a fecundity study on P. velifera that were cultivated in earthen ponds. Knowledge on reproduction and fecundity of P. velifera would be essential for planning production of this fish for the ornamental fish trade or for planning the recovery of this threatened species by introductions into habitats where it is no longer abundant. Materials and Methods A total of 111 fertilized P. velifera females were collected, using a seine with one inch mesh, between November and July from earthen ponds used to culture common snook Centropomus undecimalis in the Sandoval Caldera Foundation in the Carmen Island, Campeche, Mexico. All of the females were measured (total length, in millimeters with 0.1 mm precision) prior to placing them into 60 liter aquariums until birth when the number of young were counted. The relationship between the number of fry produced by a female and its total length was calculated using the expression: F = Y + b (TL - TLm) where: F = Fecundity; Y= Average number of fry produced by the females; b = Regression coefficient (it indicates the increased number of fry per millimeter increase in total length; TL = Total length of the fe-

Fecundity of the Yucatan Molly Poecilia velifera (Pisces: Poeciliidae): A Threatened Species of Southeastern Mexico
Luis Enrique Amador del Angel1 and Patricia Cabrera Rodrguez2

Abstract This paper reports the results of a fecundity study on the Yucatan molly Poecilia velifera, a native Mexican species of great importance in the international ornamental fish trade. P. velifera is a threatened species according to the Official Mexican Norm NOM-ECOL-059-94. The research was conducted from November to July in earthen ponds on Carmen Island, Campeche, Mexico. Each female, (40 to 92 mm total length) produced 25 to 130 fry (9 to 11 mm at birth) after 28 to 40 days of gestation. Pond temperature ranged between 27 and 30 C; salinity ranged between 0 and 16 ppt. The relationship between total length and number of fry is F = 76.8018 + 2.490687 (TL - 65.7207) (r = 0.933706, p < 0.05) (F= fecundity, TL = total length). Resumen Este trabajo muestra los resultados de fecundidad de Poecilia velifera en Yucatn, Mxico, especie nativa de gran importancia en el mercado internacional de peces de ornato. Esta especie est en la categora de especie amenazada, de acuerdo a la Norma Oficial Mexicana NOM-ECOL-059-94. Procesos de reproduccin fueron realizados de noviembre a julio en charcas artificiales, en isla del Carmen, Campeche, Mxico. Cada hembra de entre 40 a 92 mm de longitud total produjo de 25 a 130 cras, de 9 a 11 mm de longitud al nacimiento despus de 28 a 40 das de gestacin, a una temperatura de 27 a 30 C y a una salinidad de 0 a 16 ppt. La relacin entre longitud total y nmero de cras es F = 76.8018 + 2.490687 (TL - 65.7207) (r = 0.933706, p < 0.05) (F= fecundidad, TL = longitud total).

de Biologa Acutica, Facultad de Ciencias Pesqueras, Universidad Autnoma del Carmen, Ciudad del Carmen, Campeche, Mxico. 2Laboratorio de Biologa Marina, Cinvestav-IPN, unidad Mrida, Mxico.

1Laboratorio

Viviparous Fishes Harry J. Grier and Mari Carmen Uribe, book editors. New Life Publications, Homestead, Florida, 2005. p 501-514.

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Figure 1. Fecundity of Poecilia velifera cultured in earthen ponds in Carmen Island, Campeche, Mexico

Figure 2. Monthly variation of fertilized Poecilia velifera females in relation to total length

Acknowledgments male in mm. TLm = Total mean length of the females in the population in mm. The following environmental variables were recorded weekly: temperature (C), salinity (ppt), dissolved oxygen (mg/l), and pH. Results and Discussion The minimum reproductive size of P. velifera was 40 mm TL, the maximum reproductive size was 92 mm. An average TL for the population sampled was 65.707 15.06 mm. The number of newborn young per female, in relation to the total length, is in Fig. 1. It is observed that fecundity is linearly related to the total length, as is also reported in other poeciliids: Gambusia affinis, Xiphophorus helleri and X. maculatus (Milton and Arthington, 1983). The average number of fry per female was of 76.80 31.94. The regression coefficient (b) of 2.490687 fry per millimeter increases with the total length of the mature female. The equation that expresses the relation between the number of fry and the total length is: F = 76.8018 + 2.490687 (TL 65.7207) (r = 0.933706, p < 0.05). The number of fry, by size interval, is in Table 1. These fecundity results are similar to the mean results of P. velifera (47 fry/female of 60 mm) and P. orri (40 fry/female of 55 mm) that were reported by Snchez et al. (1994). The gestational period for both of these species is between 28 to 40 days at 25-30 C. Newly hatched P. velifera measure 10 1 millimeter in TL, a measurement that did not vary between the size classes. The number of fertilized females increased from March to July (warmer months) without a marked difference between the different intervals from total length of the fertilized females (Fig. 2). The physicochemical parameters recorded were within the range of tolerance of the species: temperature of 25 C to 30.2 C, salinity of 0 to 16 ppt, pH from 6.5 to 8.0, dissolved oxygen from 7.3 to 9.37 mg/l, is in agreement with that reported by Vorderwinker (1974). Also, these values were similar to those reported by Amador et al. (1997) in other ponds within the Sandoval Caldera Foundation. The authors want to express their gratitude to Ph.D. Dilio Fuentes and MSc. Vernica Rivas for their valuable suggestions; in addition we thank the Sandoval Caldera Foundation for all the facilities offered for the development of this work. The Secretary of Ecology of Campeche state government supported this study. References Amador del Angel LE, Cabrera Rodrguez P, Gmez Mendoza GE. 1997. Cultivo del robalo blanco Centropomus undecimalis (Bloch, 1729) en estanques rsticos de manto fretico en la Isla del Carmen, Campeche, Mxico. Proceedings of the 50th Annual Gulf and Caribbean Fisheries Institute, Inc. Mrida, Yucatn, November 1997. p 513-523. Chapman FA, Fitz-Coy SA, Thumberg EM, Adams CM. 1997. United States of America trade in ornamental fish. J World Aquaculture Society Vol. 28 No. 1:1-10. Chumba Segura L. 1984. Poeciliidae, Poecilia velifera. Fauna de los cenotes de Yucatn No. 8 In: Zamacona Evenes J, editor. Depto de Acuacultura y Biologa Marina de la Universidad de Yucatn. p 10. Miller RR. 1983. Checklist and key to the mollies of Mexico (Pisces: Poeciliidae: Poecilia subgenus Mollienesia. Copeia 3:817-822. Milton DA, Arthington AH. 1983. Reproductive biology of Gambusia affinis (Baird and Girard), Xiphophorus helleri (Gunther) and Xiphophorus maculatus (Heckel) (Pisces: Poeciliidae) in South-Eastern Queenisland, Australia. J Fish Biology 23:23-41. Navarro MA, Pedroso AG, Nieto GG, Nuo AF. 1988. Estudios preliminares en aguas continentales para el cultivo de especies nativas de peces en el SE mexicano. CIQRO p 70. Snchez CM, Caro CCI, Martnez PE, Reyes MI, Mendoza AA. 1994. Desarrollo cientfico y tecnolgico para el cultivo de peces de ornato. SEPESCA/CIQRO p 29. Vonderwinkler W. 1974. Peces de gestacin interna (vivparos). Informacin sobre la cra de guppies, cola de espada, mollies y otros vivparos. New Jersey THF Publications Inc. p 32.

Table 1. Number of fry by female of P. velifera between the different intervals from total length of the fertilized females in Carmen Island, Campeche, Mexico. Range (mm) 40 - 50 51 - 60 61 - 70 71 - 80 81 - 92 Number of females 23 22 20 23 23 Fecundity (fry/female) 33.34 08.27 44.35 13.07 76.70 07.83 97.13 08.09 120.13 09.83

Luis Enrique Amador del ngel and Patricia Cabrera Fecundity of Poecilia velifera (Piscea: Poeciliidae)

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