Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard)

Hui, Tan Heok, Peng, Kelvin Lim Kok, Huan, Liew Jia, Wei, Low Bi, Hing, Rayson Lim Bock, Beng, Jeffrey Kwik Teik & Yeo, Darren C. J., 2020, The non-native freshwater fishes of Singapore: an annotated compilation, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 68, pp. 150-195 : 170

Gambusia affinis (Baird & Girard)

( Fig. 66 , CA[SPC])

Distribution. Pandan River ( Ng & Lim, 1997b, based on a 1996 newspaper report); Pandan Reservoir ( Ng HH & Tan HH, 2010); Bedok Reservoir (Anonymous, 2014).

Remarks. These reported individuals are likely discarded pets. This species is common in the ornamental fish trade as juveniles (less than 10 cm). Once fishes reach sub-adulthood, they are typically too large to be accommodated in home aquaria and are conveniently discarded in public ponds and reservoirs ( Ng HH & Tan HH, 2010). Recently, an artificial hybrid between Phractocephalus hemioliopterus and Pseudoplatystoma fasciatum became available through the ornamental fish trade (Tan HH, pers. obs.). This artificial hybrid can grow to a large size as both parental species exceed 90 cm in size, and introductions can be expected in the near future in the artificial water bodies in Singapore.

Figures

Fig. 66. Gambusia affinis, 23.8 mm SL female (top), 19.5 mm SL male (bottom); Upper Seletar Reservoir inlet.