Poecilia vandepolli

Van de Poll's molly
A freshwater male
Conservation status
Least Concern  (IUCN 3.1)[1]
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Actinopterygii
Order:	Cyprinodontiformes
Family:	Poeciliidae
Genus:	Poecilia
Species:	P. vandepolli
Binomial name
Poecilia vandepolli Van Lidth de Jeude, 1887

Poecilia vandepolli, or Van de Poll's molly, is a poeciliid fish native to the ABC islands of the Lesser Antilles, namely Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao. It is a euryhaline species and one of the most common fish in its range, inhabiting fresh, brackish, salt, and hypersaline waters. The fish vary significantly in size and color depending mostly on the salinity of their environment. The saltwater specimens grow faster and become more robust and more colorful, but the species is drawn to the freshwater habitats which disappear in each dry season and must be recolonized when the rains return.

The molly feeds on algae, biofilm, and aquatic invertebrates, and is in turn prey to other fish and birds. Females give birth to live fry. Cannibalism of the fry is common when food is scarce. Males can develop an intense orange coloration, which may make the species attractive to aquarists.