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Science 19 June 1981:
Vol. 212. no. 4501, pp. 1411 - 1413
DOI: 10.1126/science.212.4501.1411
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Articles

All-Female Fish: A Cryptic Species of Menidia (Atherinidae)

ANTHONY A. ECHELLE 1 and DOYLE T. MOSIER 2

1 Biological Sciences, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater 74078
2 Texas Memorial Museum, University of Texas, Austin 78712

Electrophoretic evidence revealed the common occurrence of an all-female species of Menidia (Pisces: Atherinidae) at two localities separated by 280 kilometers on the Gulf Coast of Texas. This finding adds significantly to the known taxonomic spectrum of unisexuality in fishes and demonstrates that unisexuality may be more common among fishes that do not bear live young than is generally suspected.

Submitted on December 24, 1980
Revised on February 24, 1981

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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)