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Gambusia aff. affinis vs. Gambusia aff. holbrooki: Can you tell the difference?


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#1 Guest_ivan09193_*

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Posted 09 February 2007 - 11:54 PM

For a research project described in a previous post (see "Hybrid Sterility in Mosquitofish"), I need to acquire specimens of the Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia aff. affinis). I have read of a similar looking species found in the eastern half of the United States (Gambusia aff. holbrooki), that would not be suitable for my project due to a radically different sex determination system. Does anyone know how I can tell the two species apart by a visual inspection. I'm willing to do anything to find out the difference (short of karyotyping) :mrgreen: .

#2 Guest_fundulus_*

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Posted 10 February 2007 - 11:06 AM

For a research project described in a previous post (see "Hybrid Sterility in Mosquitofish"), I need to acquire specimens of the Western Mosquitofish (Gambusia aff. affinis). I have read of a similar looking species found in the eastern half of the United States (Gambusia aff. holbrooki), that would not be suitable for my project due to a radically different sex determination system. Does anyone know how I can tell the two species apart by a visual inspection. I'm willing to do anything to find out the difference (short of karyotyping) :mrgreen: .


Oh oh, he said "hybrid". But to differentiate species of Gambusia morphologically the gonopodium can be examined, and using a dissecting scope the differences can be easily spotted. Having said that, I don't have any references at hand... but my hazy recollection is that at least one article in Copeia has described these differences.

#3 Guest_Brooklamprey_*

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Posted 10 February 2007 - 01:01 PM

Distribution of Gambusia (Poeciliidae) in a Southeastern River System and the Use of Fin Ray Counts for Species Determination (in Shorter Contributions)
David M. Walters; Byron J. Freeman
Copeia, Vol. 2000, No. 2. (May 8, 2000), pp. 555-559.



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