Teleostei (teleosts) >
Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) >
Poeciliidae (Poeciliids) > Poeciliinae
Etymology: Phallichthys: Greek, phallos = penis + Greek, ichthys = fish (Ref. 45335).
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Freshwater; demersal; pH range: 6.0 - 8.0; dH range: 9 - 19; non-migratory. Tropical; 24°C - 27°C (Ref. 30491)
Central America: Atlantic drainages, from southern Guatemala to Costa Rica and Panama.
Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm
Max length : 7.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 36880); 6.0 cm TL (female)
Robust body gray with bluish highlights, deep and almost rhomboid. Males with very long gonopodium that reaches the base of the tail; together with the young, with 6 - 8 dark bars (diffused in females) (Ref. 36880).
Occurs mainly in stagnant waters, creeks and river shorelines, over soft bottoms. On the Atlantic versant it lives between 0 and 500 m of elevation, but in the northern Pacific sector is found between 10 and 45 m in the Tempisque and Bebedero drainages; in the Río Tárcoles drainage, where it was probably introduced, it lives between 670 and 1220 m elevation. Inhabits shallow waters with mud or litter substrata in temperatures of 20 to 37°C. Feeds on ooze, detritus, diatoms and occasionally on filamentous algae and aquatic insects (Ref. 36880).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Produces 10-80 young after 28 days gestation (Ref. 2060).
Bussing, W.A., 1998. Peces de las aguas continentales de Costa Rica [Freshwater fishes of Costa Rica]. 2nd Ed. San José Costa Rica: Editorial de la Universidad de Costa Rica. 468 p. (Ref. 36880)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2024-2)
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: commercial; aquarium: commercial
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Estimates based on models
Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref.
82804): PD
50 = 0.5625 [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.00977 (0.00492 - 0.01941), b=3.20 (3.03 - 3.37), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this species & (Sub)family-body (Ref.
93245).
Trophic level (Ref.
69278): 2.3 ±0.17 se; based on food items.
Resilience (Ref.
120179): Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref.
59153): Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
