Yellow swordtail explained

The yellow swordtail (Xiphophorus clemenciae) is a species of freshwater fish in the family Poeciliidae. It is endemic to the upper Coatzacoalcos River basin in southern Mexico.[1] It is typically found in brooks and streams with slow current; it is less frequent in areas with strong current. The yellow swordtail is considered a threatened species by Mexican authorities.[2] It reaches up to in standard length.

Unusually, the yellow swordtail appears to be the result of hybrid speciation, and its ancestors a platy species and a swordtail species.[1] [3] The southern mountain swordtail (X. monticolus), which is found further south in the Coatzacoalcos River basin than the yellow swordtail, is the result of a similar event.[1]

The fish is named in honor of Álvarez’ wife Clemencia, whose help and advice made it possible for him to devote himself to the pursuit of his scientific research.[4]

Notes and References

  1. Kang, J.H. . M. Schartl . R.B. Walter . A. Meyer . 2013 . Comprehensive phylogenetic analysis of all species of swordtails and platies (Pisces: Genus Xiphophorus) uncovers a hybrid origin of a swordtail fish, Xiphophorus monticolus, and demonstrates that the sexually selected sword originated in the ancestral lineage of the genus, but was lost again secondarily . BMC Evolutionary Biology . 13 . 25 . 25 . 10.1186/1471-2148-13-25 . 23360326 . 3585855 . free . 2013BMCEE..13...25K .
  2. Book: Ceballos, G. . E.D. Pardo . L.M Estévez . H.E. Pérez . 2016 . Los peces dulceacuícolas de México en peligro de extinción . 279 . Fondo de Cultura Económic . 978-607-16-4087-1 .
  3. Meyer, A. . W. Salzburger . M. Schartl . 2006 . Hybrid origin of a swordtail species (Teleostei: Xiphophorus clemenciae) driven by sexual selection . Molecular Ecology . 15 . 3 . 721–730 . 10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.02810.x . 16499697 . 2006MolEc..15..721M . 128413 .
  4. Web site: Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES: Families POECILIIDAE, ANABLEPIDAE, VALENCIIDAE, APHANIIDAE and PROCATOPODIDAE . 26 December 2021 . Christopher Scharpf . Kenneth J. Lazara . amp . The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database . Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara . 22 September 2018.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Yellow swordtail".

Except where otherwise indicated, Everything.Explained.Today is © Copyright 2009-2024, A B Cryer, All Rights Reserved. Cookie policy.