| Main Ref. | Meyer, M.K., K. Schneider, A.C. Radda, B. Wilde and M. Schartl, 2004 |
| Appearance refers to | |
| Bones in OsteoBase |
| Specialized organs | |
| Different appearance | |
| Different colors | |
| Remarks | Breeding males have a pronounced sex-specific pigment pattern where dorsal and caudal fins become totally black, |
| Striking features | |
| Body shape lateral | fusiform / normal |
| Cross section | |
| Dorsal head profile | |
| Type of eyes | |
| Type of mouth/snout | |
| Position of mouth | |
| Type of scales | |
| Diagnosis |
Belongs to the Poecilia (M.) mexicana subgroup of shortfin mollies, which is distinguished by the following characters: longitudinal scale series 28 (rarely 27 or 29), vs. 26 to 27 in Poecilia (M.) mechthildae; predorsal scales 13-14, vs. 12-13 in Poecilia (M.) mechthildae; caudal peduncle scales 16, vs. 18 in Poecilia (M.) mexicana; pectoral rays 15, vs. 16-17 in Poecilia (M.) mechthildae; dorsal rays 10, vs. 11 in Poecilia (M.) gracilis, 7-8 in Poecilia (M.) sulphuraria; females sometimes lack rows of black spots on body sides, vs. rows of black spots present in Poecilia (M.) sulphuraria, Poecilia (M.) mexicana, vs. weakly developed Poecilia (M.) gracilis; serrae of gonopodium ray 4p massive, vs. less massive in Poecilia (M.) mexicana, Poecilia (M.) gracilis, Poecilia (M.) mechthildae and Poecilia (M.) sulphuraria; distal spine series of gonopodium ray 3 long, vs. short in Poecilia (M.) mexicana, Poecilia (M.) mechthildae and Poecilia (M.) sulphuraria; distal membranous plate absent, vs. present in Poecilia (M.) mexicana (Ref. 75917). |
| Ease of Identification |
| Lateral Lines | Interrupted: No |
| Scales on lateral line | 28 - 28 |
| Pored lateral line scales | |
| Scales in lateral series | |
| Scale rows above lateral line | |
| Scale rows below lateral line | |
| Scales around caudal peduncle | 16 - 16 |
| Barbels | |
| Gill clefts (sharks/rays only) | |
| Gill rakers | |
| on lower limb | |
| on upper limb | |
| total | 21 - 23 |
| Vertebrae | |
| preanal | |
| total | 27 - 28 |
| Attributes | no striking attributes |
| Fins number | |
| Finlets No. | Dorsal |
| Ventral | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 10 - 10 |
| Adipose fin |
| Attributes | more or less truncate |
| Fins number | |
| Spines total | |
| Soft-rays total | 9 - 9 |
| Pectoral | Attributes |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 15 - 15 | |
| Pelvics | Attributes more or less normal |
| Position abdominal before origin of D1 | |
| Spines | |
| Soft-rays 6 - 6 |