Molly Question

[snork6]

so does anybody know where mollies are native from all the places i've looked says they live on the east coast of the USA starting at North Carolina going down though south carolina, Georgia, Florida and then Texas. i've looked at the fish species directory for North carolina, south carolina,Georgia,and Florida but none of them list mollies any idea why? FYI I did also look it up under its scientific name. the reason i ask is i want to observe mollies in their native habitat. 

 

[Ltygress]

I'm seeing the black sailfins come from the Yucatan. It says the normal black comes from Singapore, but that also says Farm-Raised, so it MAY be from FARMS in Singapore.

 

[the_lock_man]

so does anybody know where mollies are native from all the places i've looked says they live on the east coast of the USA starting at North Carolina going down though south carolina, Georgia, Florida and then Texas. i've looked at the fish species directory for North carolina, south carolina,Georgia,and Florida but none of them list mollies any idea why? FYI I did also look it up under its scientific name. the reason i ask is i want to observe mollies in their native habitat. 

 
Dunno what sites you're looking at Snork, but mollies are native to Central America and the northern extremes of South America - Mexico down to Venezuela.

 

[snork6]

this is where i got my info http/www.wetwebmedia.com/fwsubwebindex/mollies.htm
 

 

so does anybody know where mollies are native from all the places i've looked says they live on the east coast of the USA starting at North Carolina going down though south carolina, Georgia, Florida and then Texas. i've looked at the fish species directory for North carolina, south carolina,Georgia,and Florida but none of them list mollies any idea why? FYI I did also look it up under its scientific name. the reason i ask is i want to observe mollies in their native habitat. 

 
Dunno what sites you're looking at Snork, but mollies are native to Central America and the northern extremes of South America - Mexico down to Venezuela.
 

 

[Byron]

Taxonomically, mollies are in the genus Poecilia, which presently contains (according to Fishbase) some 40 species.  Two of these are the guppy, P. reticula, and the Endler, P. (Acanthophacelus) wingei.  The remaining 38 are all distinct species of "molly."  The type species of the genus is a molly, P. vivipara [a type species is the species that contains all of the characteristics of species placed in a genus].
 
A few species of "molly" are native to parts of SE North America.  P. latipinna is one of these.  [The linked article by Dr. Monks has probably been around for a while, and does not reflect the taxonomic change in genus, as Mollienesia is now deemed a synonym for Poecilia.]  Seriously Fish gives the natural habitat of this species as southern North America (Carolina) down through Mexico (Veracruz).  I do not know how common this species is in the US waters, so it may be difficult to find.  One is not likely to encounter wild fish in the hobby these days, and this species has been selectively bred into several varieties.
 
Some ichthyologists are proposing a separation between molly species and the two "guppy" species, given the physiological differences and as a result of phylogenetic studies.  The Endler is scientifically known as Poecilia (Acanthophacelus) weingei, and the genus name in parentheses is being suggested for both.  Time will tell.
 
Byron.