Goliad Farms, LP - Goodeids Information

Goliad Farms, LP

8497 FM 622
Goliad, Texas 77963

Voice 361.645.2252
Fax 361.645.2258
Email goliadfish@goliadfarms.com

Contents

Fish

Goodeids

Ameca splendens

Ameca splendens is a Goodeidae from Central Mexico. (Click here for a general discussion of goodeids.) Our strain was acquired at the ALA convention auction at Kalamazoo in 2004. This fish is either very threatened in nature or may even now be extinct in the wild. This fish has a common name, the Butterfly Goodeid, which is hardly easier than the scientific name.

Size: Males reach about 2.5 inches. Females grow to about 3.0 inches. They reproduce at much smaller sizes and continue to grow, albeit slowly after reaching sexual maturity, until they die.

Description: Males are oval shaped fish with lilac to blue bodies with pink iridescent scales, a dark dorsal. The caudal is clear then black and then yellow. Females have grey to lilac bodies with a sprinkle of black dots. Their fins have black parallel markings. The top photo a mature pair under good lighting. The middle photo is of a young male just beginning to show his colors. He has yet to attain the rounder body of a mature male. The bottom photo is of a young female yet to deliver her first batch of fry.

Environment: This fish tolerates pHs from 6.5 to 8.0 while preferring pHs at near the higher end (basic) of this range. Water hardness is not critical. Optimum temperature ranges from 20-30°C (68-85°F).

Geographic Range: Rio Teuchitlan and Rio Ameca in Jalisco, Mexico.

Temperament: This fish is not overly aggressive, but is able to hold its own with similarly sized cichlids. It should not be trusted with shy, long finned fish since it can be "nippy."

Feeding: Feeding is simple with the fish taking prepared foods as well as live and frozen foods. Periodic feedings of Daphnia or other live foods are helpful in color maintenance, general health and breeding. Some aquarists consider this fish an algae eater. They get plenty of hair and mat algae in our system.

Spawning: We maintain this fish in colonies of about six males and twenty-five females. Their fry are very large and the adults, if fed well, are not very cannibalistic.

Additional Information: For more information about this species, click on one of the following article names:

http://www.goodeiden.de/html/splendens3.html

Additional Photos: For additional photos of this species, click on one of the following photo locations:

Page last modified May 24, 2007.