Xiphophorus hellerii (Heckel)

Chan, Jeffery C. F., Tsang, Alphonse H. F., Yau, Sze-man, Hui, Tommy C. H., Lau, Anthony, Tan, Heok Hui, Low, Bi Wei, Dudgeon, David & Liew, Jia Huan, 2023, The non-native freshwater fishes of Hong Kong: diversity, distributions, and origins, Raffles Bulletin of Zoology 71, pp. 128-168 : 151

Xiphophorus hellerii (Heckel)

( Fig. 48 , [LU])

Tun Ha Stream, She Shan River, Sam Dip Tam Stream, Kau Lung Hang Lo Wai Stream, Tan Shan River, Tsing Tam Tsuen Stream ( Tsang & Dudgeon, 2021a); Deep Water Bay Stream (current survey) .

Native range. Central and South America.

Remarks. Pathways of introduction include Buddhist release rituals and/or discarded pets from the aquarium trade ( Tricarico et al., 2016). Aquarium cultivars ( Fig 48 , red-variety), of this species were encountered during the current study, indicating that they are still being actively released. This species is more widespread and abundant than Gambusia affinis in relatively unpolluted lowland streams ( Tsang & Dudgeon, 2021a).

Figures

Fig. 48. Xiphophorus hellerii, 34.8 mm SL female (top), 35.1 mm SL male (middle), Wong Lung Hang Stream, 38.8 mm SL redvariety male (bottom), Tai Po Kau Nature Reserve.