Where Does Molly Live?

Molly lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find Molly

Water type

freshwater

Depth

Shallow waters, typically less than 1 meter.

Environment

Found in coastal freshwaters, brackish estuaries, lagoons, and even hypersaline environments. They prefer slow-moving or still waters with dense vegetation, such as swamps, marshes, canals, and ditches. They are highly tolerant of varying salinity levels.

Geographic range

Native to the southeastern United States (P. latipinna, from North Carolina to Texas) and Central America (P. sphenops, from Mexico to Colombia). Introduced populations exist worldwide due to their popularity as aquarium fish.

Explore Molly