Rosalie+Fischer-+Sailfin+Molly

=Sailfin Molly //( Poecilia latipinna) //=





The sailfin molly is found in both fresh and brackish water from North Carolina all the way to Texas, and also the Gulf of Mexico. The sailfin molly mostly resides in marshes, estuaries, lowland streams, and swamps. It is especially common in Florida. The Sailfin Molly is present (though non-indigenous) to parts of the western U.S., like California and Hawaii, where it is contributing to the endangered status of the desert pupfish.
 * Habitat**

Niche
The Sailfin Molly is an omnivore. They mostly eat algae, but also eat brine shrimp, tubifex, misquito larvae, and blood words.
 * Diet**

The sailfin molly is a small fish, generally measuring about 10cm. For adult males, the dorsal fin is colorful and large, as well as the caudal fin. Females tend to be larger, yet less colorful. Most fish are light gray, with spots that often appear as stripes.
 * Physical Properties**

Sailfin Mollies tend to produce 10-140 live young, depending mostly on the size of the mother. Fish are usually pregnant for aroud 3-4 weeks before giving birth, and often give birth several times a year.
 * Reproduction**

The Sailfin Molly does very well with others of the same species. However, the Sailfin Molly is predator for many creatures, especially the males who make a better target due to their bright colors. Common predators include the largemouth bass, the American alligator, the bullfrog, and the snowy egret. There is also a type of worm called the Trematoda that is a common parisite for the Sailfin Molly.
 * Relationships with other Species**



The Sailfin Molly is active at normal times, awake during the day and in a sleeplike rest state during the night. They are more active during the summer months, but as they reside in warm water they are still able to survive in winter months.
 * Activity**

Population Expansion
The Sailfin Molly would fit well into the niche left by the Desert Pupfish as they are part of the reason they are going extinct. They both live in warm water saltwater habitats and similarly feed on algae and detrius. In the Salton Sea, where both species exist, the competition between them has caused the Desert Pupfish to have little to eat. They are both small fish and are edible by the same predators. There is a difference in their reproduction habits, as the pupfish lays eggs and the molly does a livebirth.

Species in Competition
These two species are definitely in competition. In the Salton Sea, there were 13,000 Sailfin Mollies in comparison to only 324 Desert Pupfish in 1980. There similar proportions all across the areas they habitat. It would take a very short time for the Mollies to fill the hole left by the pupfish.

Black, G. F. (1980, March). Status of the Desert Pupfish. Retrieved from The State of California Resources Agency website: http://www.sci.sdsu.edu/‌salton/‌StatusDesertPupfish.html
 * Works Cited**

Evans, S. (2009). Molly. In The Tropical Tank. Retrieved from http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/‌Fishindx/‌molly1.htm

Robins, R. H. (n.d.). Sailfin Molly. In Biological Profiles. Retrieved from Florida Museum of Natural History website: http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/‌fish/‌Gallery/‌Descript/‌SailfinMolly/‌SailfinMolly.html

Thomas, C., Whiteside, B. G., & Bonner, T. H. (2007). Sailfin Molly. In Freshwater Fishes of Texas: A Field Guide (p. 118). (Original work published 2007) Retrieved from http://books.google.com/‌books?id=G3__cpgkqVoC&pg=PA117&dq=sailfin+molly&ei=QU_WSoyqKImMkAStqYWWAQ#v=onepage&q=sailfin%20molly&f=fals