Poeciliinae Bonaparte, 1831

Lucinda, Paulo Henrique Franco & Reis, Roberto E., 2005, Systematics of the subfamily Poeciliinae Bonaparte (Cyprinodontiformes: Poeciliidae), with an emphasis on the tribe Cnesterodontini Hubbs, Neotropical Ichthyology 3 (1), pp. 1-60 : 36

Subfamily Poeciliinae Bonaparte

[Clade 129]

Poecilini Bonaparte, 1831: 94, unavailable name; preoccupied in Coleoptera .

Poeciliini Bonaparte, 1831 . Type-genus: Poecilia Bloch & Schneider, 1801 .

Diagnosis. Poeciliines species share the following uniquely derived and unreversed features: (1) ventral portion of proximal anal-fin radials 6 to 10 in adult males not laterally compressed without anterior and posterior flanges [82-1**] (a condition found in other members of the Superfamily Poeciloidea , except for Fluviphylax ); and (2) anal-fin rays 3, 4, and 5 in adult males modified in copulatory structure [86- 1**].

Additionally, poeciliines can be diagnosed by the following not uniquely derived and/or reversed features: (1) six branchiostegal rays [22-1]; (2) anterior process of anterior ceratohyal not extending ventral to ventral hypohyal [24-1*]; (3) females with 10 anal-fin rays [65-1]; (4) second, third, and fourth gonactinosts into a gonactinost complex [67-1*]; (5) complete fusion of second and third gonactinosts [72-1]; fusion of anal-fin posterior median radials (5 th to last one) in adult males to respective proximal radials [77-1]; (6) twelve anal-fin rays of males [85-1*]; (7) squared and antrorse spines on subdistal segments of R3 [108-1]; (8) nine or more caudal-fin rays in contact with the hypural plate [132-1]; (9) anterior and posterior orbital bones (143-1); and (10) viviparity [141-1*].

Composition. Tribes Tomeurini , Alfarini , Brachyrhaphini , Priapichthyini , Priapellini , Heterandriini , Gambusiini , Poeciliini , and Cnesterodontini .

Distribution. North America through Central America, the Caribbean, through South America to Argentina.

Remarks. The family name Poecilini has already been used by Bonaparte (1831), however it appeared to be preoccupied in Coleoptera . The family-group name based on Poecilus Bonelli (Carabidae) was created by Bonelli in 1810. He called the group “Poecilii”, which is typically taken to be a familygroup name. When it is used these days, it is either as a tribe (Poecilini) or a subtribe (Poecilina) (David Maddison, in litt.). Later, Bonaparte (1846) added one “i” to the name differing it from the Coleoptera family-group name (even if the differences between two family-group names is only one letter they are not homonyms - article 55.4 of the ICZN, 1999).

However, Poeciliini Bonaparte, 1846 is an unjustified emendation for Poecilini Bonaparte, 1831 (article 32.5.3 of the ICZN, 1999) but it is in prevailing usage. So, it is attributed to the original author and date and is deemed to be a justified emendation following the article 33.2.3.1 of the ICZN (1999).