Pseudoxiphophorus Heckel, 1848

Morales-Cazan, Alfy & Albert, James S., 2012, Monophyly of Heterandriini (Teleostei: Poeciliidae) revisited: a critical review of the data, Neotropical Ichthyology 10 (1), pp. 19-44 : 22

Genus Pseudoxiphophorus Heckel, 1848

Composition. Pseudoxiphophorus anzuetoi ( Rosen, 1979) ; P. bimaculatus Heckel ; P. cataractae ( Rosen, 1979) ; P. diremptus ( Rosen, 1979) , P. jonesii Gunther , P. litoperas ( Rosen, 1979) , P. obliquus ( Rosen, 1979) .

Distribution. From the Tamesi river,Atlantic versant of Mexico (22°13’N 97°54’W), to Marceligo Creek near Miranda (now Rosita), Tunky (now Tunki) river, Bambana-Prinzapolka basin, Atlantic versant of Nicaragua (13°52’N 84°20’W).

Diagnosis. Species of Pseudoxiphophorus share the following synapomorphies:1. Post-temporal unbranched (ch. 49-1); 2. Less than 9 dorsal-fin rays (ch. 63-0); 3. Two vertebrae with widened neural spines (ch. 66-2); 4. Ten anal-fin rays in females (ch. 78-1); 5. Subdistal spines on gonopodial ray 3 enlarged ventrally forming a slight elbow along the ventral profile of the ray (ch. 95-1); 6. Gonopodial ray 4p as long as ray 5a (ch. 99-1); 7. Two or more penultimate short segments on gonopodial ray 4a with a membranous envelope (ch. 100-1); 8. More than four subdistal short segments on gonopodial ray 4a (ch. 101-1); 9. Keel without axial projection on the posterior ventral surface of anal-fin ray 5 (ch. 105-0); 10. Dorsal-fin melanophores forming two or more rows of discrete spots and anal-fin melanophores extending distally from anal-fin base as streaks in interradial membrane (ch. 129-1); 11.Analfinwithsmalldiffusedots (ch.130-2); 12.Presence of a basicaudal spot (ch. 131-1); 13. Basicaudal spot in adults partly or wholly above midlateral line and extending onto caudal-fin base (ch.132-1); 14. Pigment of scale pockets forming a strong reticular network along the sides (ch. 134-1).