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Abstract. Guppy - Poecilia reticulata, a highly invasive species, is recorded for the first time from natural freshwaters of Iran. P. reticulata was probably introduced into Iran as an aquarium fish, but is now established in the natural water bodies of Kashan city in Isfahan basin.
Key Words: guppy, livebearer, aquarium, exotic fish, Isfahan basin.
Introduction. Introductions of fish species into Iranian water bodies dates back a long time but were most prominent in the 1920s when the mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki (Poeciliidae) was introduced as an anti-malarial Agent (Esmaeili et al 2010). Since then, about 32 species in 10 orders and 12 families have been introduced to Iranian inland waters, which are about 14.7% of its ichthyofauna (Esmaeili et al 2014). Aquaculture, sport fishing, control of malaria, research and accidental introductions have been the main reasons for these introductions (Coad 1996; Esmaeili et al 2007). Recent investigations show that the numbers of exotic species are increasing (Coad 2014).
Poeciliids, including the livebearers, are found in fresh and brackish waters from the eastern United States south through the Caribbean to northeastern Argentina and in Africa (Nelson 2006). Two species of livebearers viz. mosquitofish (G. holbrooki) and swordtail (Xiphophorus hellerii) have been introduced to Iranian interior waters as a control agent for malaria and released aquarium species, respectively (Esmaeili et al 2010; Coad 2014).
Livebearers are an important group of relatively small and often colorful aquarium fishes. The family Poeciliidae comprises about 37 genera and about 304 species (Nelson 2006). The Poeciliid genus Poecilia with 40 recognized species (Nelson 2006) is native to fresh, brackish and salt water in the Americas, and some species in the genus are euryhaline. One of the most important species in livebearers ornamental fish culture is the guppy - Poecilia reticulata, which is one of the world's most widely distributed tropical fish, and one of the most popular freshwater aquarium fish species. P. reticulata is a highly adaptable fish and thrives in many different...