Home · Poeciliidae · Clear livebearer
Clear livebearer (Poeciliopsis lucida) — Poeciliidae

Clear livebearer

Poeciliopsis lucida
Family: Poeciliidae

The Clear livebearer (Poeciliopsis lucida) is a freshwater fish of the family Poeciliidae that grows up to 3 cm.

Length
3 cm
Water
Freshwater
Diet
Omnivore
Behaviour
Schooling
Activity
Diurnal
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like)
Substrate
Open water
Danger
Harmless
Range
North America: Mexico

Want the complete picture on the Clear livebearer?

Get the app

Description

The Clear livebearer is a livebearing toothcarp (Poeciliidae) from fresh and brackish water of northwestern Mexico. The species grows to about 5 cm and has a slender, silver-brown body with a superior mouth. The male fertilises the female internally with an anal fin modified into a gonopodium, after which live young are born. As a social fish it swims in schools at the surface of streams and pools and eats mosquito larvae, small invertebrates and algae. The fish is harmless to humans.

Frequently asked questions

How do you recognise the Clear livebearer?

The Clear livebearer has an elongate, eel-like body and is mainly silver-grey.

Where does the Clear livebearer live?

The Clear livebearer lives in fresh water and is mostly found around open water. North America: Mexico

How big does the Clear livebearer get?

The Clear livebearer grows to a maximum of about 3 cm.

Is the Clear livebearer dangerous to humans?

No, the Clear livebearer is harmless to humans. This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status.

More photos

Clear livebearer (Poeciliopsis lucida) — Poeciliidae — 2
iNaturalist ((c) José Ramón Velázquez Granados, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC))
Fin

Want the complete picture on the Clear livebearer?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Clear livebearer is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Get the app →

All data

Identification

English name
Clear livebearer sourced
Scientific name
Poeciliopsis lucida
Family
Poeciliidae
Other names
Clearfin livebearer sourced

Appearance

Size class
Small verified
Max length (cm)
3.0 verified
Body shape
Elongated (eel-like) sourced
Dominant colour
Silver / grey sourced
Tail shape
Rounded inferred
Mouth position
Superior (upward) sourced

Habitat & distribution

Water type
Freshwater sourced
Substrate
Open water sourced
Natural range
North America: Mexico sourced
Origin
Native inferred

Behaviour & biology

Diet
Omnivore inferred
Diet (detail)
Invertebrates, algae and detritus inferred
Social behaviour
Schooling sourced
Territorial
No inferred
Activity
Diurnal inferred
Reproduction
Separate sexes inferred
Sexual dimorphism
Yes inferred
Seasonality
Present year-round in its habitat; no pronounced seasonality known. inferred

For anglers

Fishing method
Small in size and barely an angling target; mostly caught incidentally or as baitfish. inferred
Regulations source
FishBase ↗ inferred

Safety

Danger to humans
Harmless verified
First aid
This species is harmless to humans. No specific first aid is needed. Still handle the fish with care: mind the fin rays and the sharp edges of the gill cover, and rinse any scratch with clean water and cover it. For a dirty or deep wound check tetanus status. verified

Status & sources

Sources
FishBase via GBIF (DwC-A), CC-BY-NC 4.0

Same genus Poeciliopsis

More from the family Poeciliidae

Fin

Want the complete picture on the Clear livebearer?

Point your camera at the fish and Fin names the species in seconds. Free, and the Clear livebearer is one of 12,519 species in the app.

Get the app →
Is this the Clear livebearer? Get the app