Yellow swordtail

Yellow swordtail
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Cyprinodontiformes
Family: Poeciliidae
Genus: Xiphophorus
Species:
X. clemenciae
Binomial name
Xiphophorus clemenciae
Álvarez, 1959

The yellow swordtail (Xiphophorus clemenciae) is a species of freshwater fish in the family Poeciliidae.[2] It is endemic to the upper Coatzacoalcos River basin in southern Mexico.[3] It is typically found in brooks and streams with slow current; it is less frequent in areas with strong current.[2] The yellow swordtail is considered a threatened species by Mexican authorities.[4] It reaches up to 5.1 cm (2.0 in) in standard length.[2]

Unusually, the yellow swordtail appears to be the result of hybrid speciation, and its ancestors a platy species and a swordtail species.[3][5] 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.[3]

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.[6]

Sources

  1. ^ Vega-Cendejas, M. (2019). "Xiphophorus clemenciae". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T23155A2784809. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-2.RLTS.T23155A2784809.en. Retrieved 16 November 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Froese, Rainer; Pauly, Daniel (eds.). "Xiphophorus clemenciae". FishBase. September 2018 version.
  3. ^ a b c 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. Bibcode:2013BMCEE..13...25K. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-13-25. PMC 3585855. PMID 23360326.
  4. ^ Ceballos, G.; E.D. Pardo; L.M Estévez; H.E. Pérez, eds. (2016). Los peces dulceacuícolas de México en peligro de extinción. Fondo de Cultura Económic. p. 279. ISBN 978-607-16-4087-1.
  5. ^ 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. Bibcode:2006MolEc..15..721M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2006.02810.x. PMID 16499697. S2CID 128413.
  6. ^ Christopher Scharpf & Kenneth J. Lazara (22 September 2018). "Order CYPRINODONTIFORMES: Families POECILIIDAE, ANABLEPIDAE, VALENCIIDAE, APHANIIDAE and PROCATOPODIDAE". The ETYFish Project Fish Name Etymology Database. Christopher Scharpf and Kenneth J. Lazara. Retrieved 26 December 2021.


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