Poecilia teresae, a New Species of Poeciliid Fish from Belize, Central America

Abstract

SL is used throughout. Counts and measurements follow Hubbs and Lagler (1964), except that the last two rays of the dorsal and anal fins were not counted as one unless they are borne on the same pterygiophore (last two rays not automatically counted as one). All gill rakers, including rudiments, on the first arch of the left side were counted. The first predorsal scale is the enlarged median one lying on the occipital region. Dorsal-anal distance is the oblique measurement from the origin of the anal fin or gonopodium to the origin of the dorsal fin. Measurements were made using dial calipers to the nearest 0.1 mm and are expressed as thousandths of SL. Data for the holotype are presented first, followed in parentheses by the range for paratypes (where variable) plus the mean for morphometric data or mode for meristic data. Principal component analysis (PCA) was computed for four body proportions (head length, caudal peduncle depth, caudal peduncle length, and dorsal-anal distance) using the Sigma Soft Biostat II MPCA package with Log 10 transformation (Pimentel and Smith, 1985). Institutional abbreviations are as listed in Leviton et al. (1985).