Feeding rates in the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna and its coexisting sexual parasite, the gynogenetic Amazon molly Poecilia formosa

Abstract

Feeding rates of the gynogenetic Amazon molly Poecilia formosa and one of its sexual hosts, the sailfin molly Poecilia latipinna, were measured under winter and summer temperature conditions. Food consumption of the unisexual P. formosa in winter conditions was significantly higher than that of P. latipinna, and it is hypothesized that the resulting food stress might have an important influence on the population composition of these closely related fishes via higher winter mortality in P. formosa.