Article text: Wikipedia contributors, Gambusia speciosa (source revision). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Retrieved 2026-10-11.
Tex-mex Gambusia
Gambusia speciosa
Poeciliidae · freshwater water fish
1 minute read · Species guide
About Tex-mex Gambusia
Gambusia speciosa, the Tex-Mex gambusia, is a species of fish in the family Poeciliidae which is found in the United States and Mexico. In Mexico its range covers the states of Chihuahua, Coahuila, Nuevo León and Tamaulipas while in the United States it is found in New Mexico and Texas. In Texas it is restricted to the Devils River and its tributaries in Val Verde County. The habitat of the Tex-Mex gambusia includes springs, outflow channels, marshes and the margins of small to medium-sized streams. This species was described by Charles Frédéric Girard in 1859 with the type locality given as the Río San Diego, near Cadereita in Nuevo León.
Range
Where it lives
0%
100%of mapped records
Share of records by state
Habitat
Water and movement
- Water
- WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
- Migration
- Undetermined
Classification
Taxonomy
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Superclass
- Actinopterygii
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cyprinodontiformes
- Family
- Poeciliidae
- Genus
- Gambusia
- Species
- Gambusia speciosa
- ITIS TSN
- 201977
- WoRMS AphiaID
- 1021261
- GBIF key
- 2350629
Common questions about Tex-mex Gambusia
What is the scientific name of Tex-mex Gambusia?
The scientific name is Gambusia speciosa, in the family Poeciliidae. Classification follows ITIS.
Does Tex-mex Gambusia live in fresh water or salt water?
WoRMS records this species in fresh water.
Where has Tex-mex Gambusia been recorded in the United States?
GBIF has observations in 1 states, with the most records in Texas. The map shows observation records, which do not establish the complete natural range.
Closest relatives
Other Gambusia species
Amistad Gambusia2 states
Gambusia amistadensisPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Big Bend Gambusia2 states
Gambusia gaigeiPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Blotched Gambusia1 states
Gambusia senilisPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Clear Creek Gambusia1 states
Gambusia heterochirPoeciliidaeNativeFreshBrackish
Largespring Gambusia2 states
Gambusia geiseriPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFresh
Mangrove Gambusia1 states
Gambusia rhizophoraePoeciliidaeNativeFreshBrackish
Mosquitofish41 states
Gambusia affinisPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish
Pecos Gambusia3 states
Gambusia nobilisPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFresh
San Marcos Gambusia3 states
Gambusia georgeiPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Same family
More Poeciliidae
Amazon Molly1 states
Poecilia formosaPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish
Amistad Gambusia2 states
Gambusia amistadensisPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Big Bend Gambusia2 states
Gambusia gaigeiPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Blotched Gambusia1 states
Gambusia senilisPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Clear Creek Gambusia1 states
Gambusia heterochirPoeciliidaeNativeFreshBrackish
Cuban Limia1 states
Limia vittataPoeciliidaeIntroducedFreshBrackish
Dwarf Livebearer8 states
Heterandria formosaPoeciliidaeNativeFreshBrackish
Gila Topminnow3 states
Poeciliopsis occidentalisPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFresh
Guppy15 states
Poecilia reticulataPoeciliidaeIntroducedFreshBrackish
Largespring Gambusia2 states
Gambusia geiseriPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFresh
Mangrove Gambusia1 states
Gambusia rhizophoraePoeciliidaeNativeFreshBrackish
Mexican Molly7 states
Poecilia sphenopsPoeciliidaeIntroducedFreshBrackish
Mosquitofish41 states
Gambusia affinisPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFreshBrackish
Pecos Gambusia3 states
Gambusia nobilisPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFresh
Piketop Minnow3 states
Belonesox belizanusPoeciliidaeIntroducedFreshBrackish
Poeciliopsis sonoriensis1 states
PoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Porthole Livebearer1 states
Poeciliopsis gracilisPoeciliidaeIntroducedFresh
Sailfin Molly15 states
Poecilia latipinnaPoeciliidaeNative and introducedFreshSaltBrackish
San Marcos Gambusia3 states
Gambusia georgeiPoeciliidaeNativeFresh
Shortfin Molly9 states
Poecilia mexicanaPoeciliidaeIntroducedFreshBrackish
Southern Platyfish7 states
Xiphophorus maculatusPoeciliidaeIntroducedFresh
Variable Platyfish5 states
Xiphophorus variatusPoeciliidaeIntroducedFresh