Poecilia cf. sphenops Valenciennes 1846

Angulo, Arturo, Betts, Joel T., González-Alemán, Néstor J., Castañeda, Edgar, Berghe, Eric Van Den, Elías, Diego J., Mcmahan, Caleb D. & Matamoros, Wilfredo A., 2023, Continental fishes of Nicaragua: diversity, distribution and conservation status; with an annotated and illustrated checklist of species and an identification guide to families, Zootaxa 5376 (1), pp. 1-89 : 62

Poecilia cf. sphenops Valenciennes 1846 . Black Molly; Olomina, Alumina, Bobita, Panzona, Bubucha, Pepesca

Vouchers: UCR 0182-004 (213), 0183-002 (70), 0184-009 (140), 0265-011 (3), 0266-006 (20) and 0464-001 (2); FMNH 5929 (231), 5930 (13), 5931 (89), 5932 (19), 5933 (26), 5934 (27) and 52267 (3). Distribution: North and Central America; from central and southern Mexico to Nicaragua, Atlantic and Pacific drainages; ( Nicaragua) Co, UI, WK, Pr, GM, KP, Es (Atlantic), Ch, Ne, ER and PN (Pacific); 0–350 masl; Sec, Dia, Amp. Occurrence and conservation status: Nat; LC (2019), population trend unknown. Literature: Meek (1907: 113; brief description, including an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Fowler (1923: 29; listed, including information on distribution), Astorqui (1975: 107, as Mollinesia sphenops —synonym; brief description, including illustrations and an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Villa (1982: 134; detailed description, including illustrations and an identification key, and information on distribution and ecology), Carr & Giovannoli (1994: 103, as M. sphenops —synonym; brief description, including information on distribution and ecology), Poeser (2011: 418; identification key and information on distribution and taxonomy), Alda et al. (2013: 1011; molecular delimitation, taxonomy and information on distribution, including a map), Bagley et al. (2015: 1; molecular delimitation, taxonomy and information on distribution, including a map), Palacios et al. (2016: 232; phylogenetic position and information on distribution, including a map) and Álvarez et al. (2021: e3303; brief description, including an identification key and an illustration, and information on distribution). Remarks: This species is listed here according to the morphological definition of Meek (1907), Astorqui (1975), Villa (1982) and Poeser (2011). Poecilia sphenops , sensu stricto, is distributed from southern Mexico to eastern El Salvador and Honduras ( Palacios et al. 2016, Matamoros 2019), reaching the north and central regions of Nicaragua ( Bagley et al. 2015), up to the Pacific Nicaragua (PN) and Escondido (Es) River Basins. Moreover, based on molecular data, Bagley et al. (2015) and Palacios et al. (2016) listed Poecilia sp. “Tipitapa”, an “undescribed species” from Nicaragua, as part of the “ Poecilia sphenops species complex”. Morphological and more inclusive molecular studies are necessary to clarify this situation and to properly diagnose all taxa involved.