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| NAS - Nonindigenous Aquatic Species |
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Common Name: Argentine pearlfish
Synonyms and Other Names: (pavito).
Taxonomy: available through 
Identification: Costa (1995) provided diagnostic characters and included this species in his identification keys to the genera and species of the subfamily Cynolebiatinae. A few distinguishing characteristics were also provided by Boschi (1957) and Sterba (1973). Moyle (1976a) included this species in his keys for California fishes. Color photographs appeared in Mills and Vevers (1982), Axelrod et al. (1985), and Costa (1995). The spelling of this species is sometimes given as Cynolebias bellotti.
Size: 6.5 cm.
Native Range: Tropical America. Lower Parana basin, around Rio de la Plata, in
Argentina and Uruguay, South America (W. Costa, personal
communication).
Nonindigenous Occurrences: During the period 1964-1967, small numbers of adults were stocked in southern California in study ponds at the Riverside campus of the University of California, Riverside County; at the Biggs Rice Experiment Station, Butte County; and at two duck clubs, Kern County (Bay 1966; Moyle 1976a; Shapovalov et al. 1981; Dill and Cordone 1997). In addition to experimental ponds of the University of California., Moyle (1976a) recorded it as introduced into southern California ponds and rice fields in the Central Valley in the late 1960s or early 1970s (he included it in his table as introduced to the Los Angeles basin). Additional releases, poorly documented, may have taken place at one or more sites in Los Angeles County, and possibly Orange County, California (Moyle 1976a; Courtenay et al. 1991; Dill and Cordone 1997).
Means of Introduction: Intentionally stocked to assess its ability as a mosquito control agent, especially in ricefields (Moyle 1976a; Dill and Cordone 1997). These introductions were with the approval of the Fish and Game Commission (Dill and Cordone 1997).
Status: Reported from California where all open water introductions apparently failed. Contrary to Courtenay et al. (1986, 1991), Dill and Cordone (1997) concluded that there is no evidence of past survival and establishment of this species in California open waters. However, it was temporarily established in experimental ponds at the University of California (Bay 1966; Moyle 1976a; Dill and Cordone 1997); that population reportedly survived for five or six years despite repeated floodings and dryings before dying out (Legner and Medved 1972; Shapovalov et al. 1981).
Impact of Introduction: Unknown. Moyle (1976a) expressed concern about the possible impact introduced annual fishes might have on the invertebrate fauna inhabiting California temporary pools.
Remarks: Similar to many tropical killifish species, Cynolebias bellottii is an annual fish able to maintain permanent populations in temporary habitats by combining rapid growth and development with diapausing eggs that survive the dry season buried in the mud. Bay (1966) demonstrated that Cynolebias bellottii could survive seasonal conditions typical of southern California, although egg survival was low. Cynolebias bellottii was reported as an introduction into Hawaii but apparently never was stocked in open water (Maciolek 1984). The literature is fragmentary and somewhat contradictory concerning the introduction, and possible establishment, of this species in open waters of California. Courtenay and Hensley (1979a), citing Moyle (1976a), stated that the species probably was established in Riverside and possibly in Los Angeles counties. Although unclear, the Los Angeles County report by Moyle (1976a) may represent an open water record, whereas his Riverside record (Moyle 1976a), apparently refers to completely confined populations restricted to experimental ponds at the University of California, Riverside, Riverside County. The literature does not provide information on the outflow, if any, of the experimental ponds nor of the ricefield areas. Courtenay et al. (1986, 1991) listed this species as an exotic formerly established in California but now extirpated. Hubbs et al. (1979) cited it as not known to occur in California. Swift et al. (1993) did not mention C. bellottii in their work on freshwater fishes of southern California. Recently, Dill and Cordone (1997) provided details of the history of this species in California. They verified that a small number of adult Argentine pearlfish were stocked in study plots at the Riverside campus in Riverside County, at the Biggs Rice Experiment Station in Butte County, and at two duck clubs in Kern County. Although possibly introduced to sites in Orange and Los Angeles counties, Dill and Cordone could not find any information on such releases.
There are no known voucher specimens.
Axelrod, H. R., W. E. Burgess, N. Pronek, and J. G. Walls. 1985. Dr. Axelrod's atlas of freshwater aquarium fishes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Bay, E. C. 1966. Adaptation studies with the Argentine pearl fish, Cynolebias bellottii, for its introduction into California. Copeia 1966:839-846.
Boschi, E. 1957. Argentine pearl fish Cynolebias bellottii Steindachner 1881. English translation of Spanish by W. Voderwinkler. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Costa, W. J. E. M. 1990. Classificação e distribuição da família Rivulidae (Cyprinodontiformes, Aplocheiloidei). Rev. Brasil. Biol. (Rio de Janeiro) 50(1):83-89.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., and D. A. Hensley. 1979a. Survey of introduced non-native fishes. Phase I Report. Introduced exotic fishes in North America: status 1979. Report Submitted to National Fishery Research Laboratory, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Gainesville, FL.
Courtenay, W. R., Jr., D. P. Jennings, and J. D. Williams. 1991. Appendix 2: exotic fishes. Pages 97-107 in Robins, C. R., R. M. Bailey, C. E. Bond, J. R. Brooker, E. A. Lachner, R. N. Lea, and W. B. Scott. Common and scientific names of fishes from the United States and Canada, 5th edition. American Fisheries Society Special Publication 20. American Fisheries Society, Bethesda, MD.
Hubbs, C. L., W. I. Follett, and L. J. Dempster. 1979. List of the fishes of California. California Academy Science Occasional Papers 133. 51 pp.
Maciolek, J. A. 1984. Exotic fishes in Hawaii and other islands of Oceania. Pages 131-161 in W. R. Courtenay, Jr., and J. R. Stauffer, Jr., editors. Distribution, biology, and management of exotic fishes. The Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore, MD.
Moyle, P. B. 1976a. Inland fishes of California. University of California Press, Berkeley, CA.
Parenti, L. R. 1981. A phylogenetic and biogeographic analysis of cyprinodontiform fishes (Teleostei, Atherinomorpha). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 168(4):335-557.
Sterba, G. 1973. Freshwater fishes of the world. English translation and revision from German. Two volumes. Tropical Fish Hobbyist Publications, Inc., Neptune City, NJ.
Swift, C. C., T. R. Haglund, M. Ruiz, and R. N. Fisher. 1993. The status and distribution of the freshwater fishes of southern California. Bulletin of the Southern California Academy of Science 92(3):101-167.
Other Resources:
FishBase Fact Sheet
Author: Leo Nico
Revision Date: 12/5/2003 Citation for this information:
Leo Nico. 2009. Cynolebias bellottii. USGS Nonindigenous Aquatic Species Database, Gainesville, FL.
<http://nas.er.usgs.gov/queries/FactSheet.asp?speciesID=879> Revision Date: 12/5/2003
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