Poeciliidae is a family of fresh-water fishes, which are ovo-viviparous (they give birth to live young; see also live-bearing aquarium fish). They belong to the order Cyprinodontiformes and include well-known aquarium fish like the guppy, molly, platy and swordtail.
References
"Poeciliidae" (http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/FamilySummary.cfm?Family=Poeciliidae). FishBase. Ed. Ranier Froese and Daniel Pauly. October 2004 version. N.p.: FishBase, 2004.
"Poeciliidae" (TSN 165876) (http://www.itis.usda.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=165876). Integrated Taxonomic Information System. N.p.: Integrated Taxonomic Information System, 2004. Accessed on 4 June2004.
Instead, the species of interest to aquarists are almost always members of the family Poecilidae, most commonly guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails.
Most of the Poecilidae are ovoviviparous, that is, while the eggs are retained inside the body of the female for protection, the eggs are essentially independent of the mother and she does not provide them with any nutrients.
In contrast, fish such as splitfins and halfbeaks are viviparous, with the eggs being receive food from the maternal blood supply through structures analagous to the placenta of placental mammals.
The three families of livebearing toothcarps all come from Central and South America: Poecilidae (guppies, mollies, platies and swordtails), Anablepidae, and Goodeidae.
Goodeids all come from Mexico, from a variety of niche habitats in the highland catchment area of the Rio Lema in Western Mexico, and Ameca splendens comes from the Rio Ameca basin (hence the name).
They breed readily when kept in a shoal, and once a few youngsters are present, the newcomers are left alone.
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