Wonderful life – Amazon molly
October 15, 2009
I just learned about the reproductive strategy of the Amazon molly (Poecilla formosa). The Amazon molly isn’t found in the Amazon. Rather, it is a reference to the greek mythology because this species of fish is female only! How is that possible? From the wikipedia:
The Amazon molly, Poecilia formosa, is a freshwater fish which reproduces through gynogenesis. This means that although females must mate with a male, genetic material from the male is not incorporated into the already diploid egg cells that the mother is carrying (except in extraordinary circumstances), resulting in clones of the mother being produced en mass. This characteristic has led to the Amazon molly becoming an all female species