#tequila splitfin

[zinyli]

im glad you’re back

[endangered-aquarium-fish]

Golden skiffia (Skiffia francesae)

Critically endangered

When the golden skiffias still lived in their natural home, it was a warm, quiet, gentle, spring-fed river with a bottom of sand and silt and mud, where they found shelter in the roots of floating plants that grew along the shore, beneath a canopy of acacias and willows. They foraged for algae on the plants, and thrived in their river, the Rio Teuchitlán.

Decades ago, the Teuchitlán was polluted, the springs that fed it were damaged, the acacias and willows were killed, and the banks were smothered in farms and urban sprawl. The skiffias barely persisted, and the last nail in the coffin was the introduction of the invasive common platyfish. It took only a year for the platys to outnumber the skiffias fifty to one. The golden skiffia was declared extinct in the wild in 1996. 

Some people loved that river. They despised the horrific things that had been done to it. That’s what drove a coalition of conservation groups to heal the river - they stopped the pollution, restored the banks, and removed the platys - then, they got to work putting the pieces of its ecosystem back together. In November 2022, Over a thousand golden skiffias, descended from fish that had been cared for in aquariums for almost fifty years since they were found in a dying river in 1976, were finally released back into the wild. 

…I can’t find what happened after that. Their relative the tequila splitfin was released a few years earlier, and it’s been thriving - but no update at all on the skiffias. I hope they’re alright. 

Golden skiffias are barely more than one and a half inches long, they’re really cute- they’re very energetic too, always chasing each other and searching and exploring and picking at everything they can find, as long as they never venture into deep water. And they’re social!!! they love to be in large, loose shoals where they find safety and potential mates. They can be hard to find but they’re so interesting and I love their bright yellow splotches :3 

Also, they’re in a really wonderfully bizarre family called the livebearers- they literally give live birth!!! Not like seahorses where they keep the eggs in a pouch, or like some snakes where they just don’t lay them until they hatch. No, they have an umbilical cord and everything. They have way fewer babies that way, but they’re safe from anything that might eat fish eggs, which is most things. Also the babies are HUGE :P

Golden skiffias hate deep water, so they need a shallow tank - it should be at least 15 gallons but ten inches of depth is plenty for them to explore. The tank should mimic the Teuchitlán - dense vegetation and sunken wood to provide shelter and grow algae, moderate water flow, and lots of oxygen. A simple bubbler is a great way to keep them healthy. The water should be hard, and cool (68-74 F) since anything more than room temperature can affect their immune system. And it has to be really really clean - change out at least two thirds of the water weekly!!! I know that sounds really excessive if you’ve kept any other fish but most goodeids really do appreciate it. 

They have a couple other odd requirements too. They do best if you give them even cooler temperatures, like 40-60 F, for 3ish months in winter. That way they can rest - they won’t breed in winter since they’re just chilling but they’ll be healthier in spring. The other is that they will thrive more if you keep them outside in the spring and fall when the weather is nice. They don’t really need it, but something about it makes them a lot healthier and they breed so much faster. 

Since they’re social animals, make sure you get at least a small group to start out with. They’re easy to breed as long as they’re happy, but they can be pretty slow about it - they take about 8 weeks to give birth to 5-15 babies (more as they get older). Luckily, as long as they’re well fed and they have enough room they won’t eat their fry, so you only need one tank. Since they are endangered at best, it’s important that you don’t keep them with other skiffias or they could hybridize - I don’t have anything against hybrids except that it doesn’t really count as preserving the species. They’re best kept only with their own species or with something small that won’t eat the fry. It’s hard to find much information about the golden skiffia specifically but some of their relatives can be aggressive so keep that in mind and add plenty of hiding spots to the tank.

Skiffias need a plant based diet with just a little protein - they love blanched veggies and seem to dedicate their lives to eating algae, and you can feed them regular fish flakes and pellets too. Their favorite protein source is baby brine shrimp - just make sure you only give them meaty foods as an occasional treat :3

These are rlly fun fish if you can find some - just make sure u share the babies :3

[rjzimmerman]

Excerpt from this story from ABC News:

There once was a small fish called “tequila splitfin” or “zoogoneticus tequila” that swam in a river in western Mexico, but disappeared in the 1990s. Scientists and residents, however, have achieved the return of a species extinct in nature — but conserved in captivity — to its native habitat.

Its success is now intertwined with the community’s identity and being touted internationally.

It began more than two decades ago in Teuchitlán, a town near the Tequila volcano. A half-dozen students, among them Omar Domínguez, began to worry about the little fish that fit in the palm of a hand and had only ever been seen in the Teuchitlán river. It had vanished from local waters, apparently due to pollution, human activities and the introduction of non-native species.

Domínguez, now a 47-year-old researcher at the University of Michoacán, says that then only the elderly remembered the fish called “gallito” or “little rooster” because of its orange tail.

In 1998, conservationists from the Chester Zoo in England and other European institutions arrived to help set up a laboratory for conserving Mexican fish. They brought several pairs of tequila splitfin fish from the aquariums of collectors, Domínguez said.

The fish began reproducing in aquariums and within a few years Domínguez and his colleagues gambled on reintroducing them to the Teuchitlán river. “They told us it was impossible, (that) when we returned them they were going to die.”

So they looked for options. They built an artificial pond for a semi-captivity stage and in 2012 they put 40 pairs there.

Two years later, there were some 10,000 fish. The result guaranteed funding, not only from the Chester Zoo but also a dozen organizations from Europe, the United States and the United Arab Emirates, to move the experiment to the river.

There they studied parasites, microorganisms in the water, the interaction with predators, competition with other fish, and then introduced the fish in floating cages.

The goal was to re-establish the fragile equilibrium. For that part, the key was not so much the scientists as the local residents.

“When I started the environmental education program I thought they were going to turn a deaf ear to us ... and at first that happened,” Domínguez said.

But the conservationists succeeded with patience and years of puppet shows, games and explanations about the ecological and health value of “zoogoneticus tequila” — the fish help control mosquitos that spread dengue.

Some residents made up a nickname for the little fish: “Zoogy.” They made caricatures and formed the “River Guardians,” a group mostly of children. They collect garbage, clean the river and remove invasive plants.

Domínguez said it is difficult to say if water quality is better because there is no previous data to compare, but the entire ecosystem has improved. The river is cleaner, there are fewer non-native species and cattle are no longer permitted to drink in some areas.

The fish rapidly multiplied inside their floating cages. Then they were marked so they could be followed and set free. It was late 2017 and in six months the population increased 55%. Last month, the fish had expanded to another part of the river.

[sanjosenewshq]

Golden skiffia return to their native river in Mexico

Twenty-eight years in the past, the golden skiffia vanished from the wild. Immediately, it’s again. Proceed studying beneath Our Featured Movies This sunshine-colored freshwater fish is smaller than a thumb. The species has been saved alive in captivity. However now, consistent with Mexico’s Day of the Lifeless vacation just a few days in the past, conservationists are returning the fish to its pure habitat of the Teuchitlán River in Mexico. Associated: Practically 1/3 of freshwater fish face extinction “The Day of the Lifeless is a conventional Mexican celebration, when it’s believed that folks’s deceased ancestors return to the land of the residing for one night time, to speak and spend time with their households,” stated Omar Domínguez-Domínguez, a professor and researcher from the Michoacán College of Mexico and chief of the golden skiffia reintroduction. “Releasing the golden skiffia round this time is a metaphor for the way the species has come again from the useless to return to its dwelling, not for one night time, however perpetually.” Thanks! Maintain an eye fixed out for our weekly publication. Be part of Our Publication Obtain the most recent in world information and designs constructing a greater future. SIGN UP SIGN UP Like 1000’s of different freshwater fish species, the golden skiffia was pushed to the brink of extinction by human impacts. Air pollution, dam development, water extraction and invasive species have fouled the fish’s completely happy dwelling. Michoacán College of Mexico, Goodeid Working Group, Chester Zoo, Re:wild and SHOAL collaborated to return the golden skiffia to its native Teuchitlán River in Jalisco, Mexico. On November 4, the staff launched about 1,200 of the fish raised in a captive breeding program. That is the most recent challenge from Fish Ark Mexico, which has a facility at Michoacán College. The conservation challenge focuses on 41 extremely threatened freshwater fish species. Six years in the past, Fish Ark Mexico efficiently reintroduced the tequila splitfin into the Teuchitlán River. That inhabitants is now thriving. Conservationists hope to have the same success with the golden skiffia. “Releasing this species again into the wild is a light-weight of hope for this glorious household of fishes — the goodeids — and for the conservation of freshwater fish extra typically,” Domínguez-Domínguez stated. “Figuring out that universities, zoos and aquarists can come collectively to repair a few of what has been destroyed and return to nature a few of what has been misplaced is a tremendous factor. The reintroduction will profit not solely the pure ecosystem however, due to the habitat restoration work that has already occurred, the communities that reside close to the river as nicely.” By way of Shoal Conservation Lead picture through Chester Zoo Originally published at San Jose News HQ

[innocentamit]

Inside the International Effort to Save One Tiny Mexican Fish

Inside the International Effort to Save One Tiny Mexican Fish

This story originally appeared on Atlas Obscura and is part of the Climate Desk collaboration. At first glance, there’s nothing remarkable about Mexico’s tequila splitfin fish. Only 2½ inches long, the fish aren’t colorful or poisonous. They aren’t particularly fast. They do not change colors or exhibit other strange behaviors. In many ways, they are forgettable. So when the fish, endemic to only…

[fishihavecaught]

Mexico - Day 4

The plan for the day was to visit nearby Teuchitlán Springs where Phase I of the Tequila Splitfin (Zoogoneticus tequila) reintroduction project is underway. This project is run by Dr. Martina Medina and students from the Aqualab. Afterwards we would explore the prehistoric site of Los Guachimontones. During breakfast Claire and Citlalli from the Universidad de Guadalajara joined us and would be tagging along for the day.

We arrived at the town of Teuchitlán and after a brief talk about the recovery status of the river we started a short walk upstream to the springs.

An interesting site in the river.

Once we reached the springs we got to hear more about the Tequila Splitfin project and saw the initial pool where Phase I was being implemented.

The Tequila Splitfin Pool (Photo by Ben)

Afterwards we went to the lower pools, which were swarming with hundreds of Butterfly Splitfins (Ameca splendens). In short order I caught both a male and female.

Species #190 - Butterfly Splitfin female

Species #190 - Butterfly Splitfin male

There were a few Blackfin Goodea (Goodea atripinnis) and Two-Spot Livebearer (Heterandria bimaculata) in the pool as well. Also heard rumors of La Luz Splitfin (Zoogoneticus purhepechus), but none were caught.

I started fishing in the river outside the protected pools and managed to catch this baby Blue Tilapia (Oreochromis aureus). First Tilapia of the trip, but as you will see it was not the last.

Ben also caught a Blue Tilapia, which was a new species for him.

Ben on the hunt for Tilapia.

After awhile we headed to nearby Los Guachimontones, which is pretty interesting prehistoric site which consists of circular stepped pyramids surrounded by circular building complexes. Additionally, there were also ball courts where prehistoric games were played.

One of the stepped pyramids (Photo by Ben).

Los Guachimontones

After our tour of the site and museum we stopped by a local restaurant on the lake which was built around a spring and allowed fishing. It was a very neat experience. After our meal was done, we fished for awhile and caught dozens and dozens of Tilapia which filled the pool and loved tortillas.

Sign says something along the lines of “The fishing rod is the responsibility of the user to avoid accidents”.

View of the spring in the restaurant and the lake in the background.

Overall it was an interesting day and we returned to Guadalajara for the night.  

[coolskeledude95-blog]

Aquarium fish

You’re in the aquarium hobby, and you aware of the ceaseless variety of fish there are. You can’t have them all in one big tank as they require very diffrent conditions. So you decide to get multiple tanks for the fish you wish to obtain(because having every fish in the hobby is very very difficult if not impossible). Here are some fish that I wish I had and could take care of.

This beautiful fish is actually extinct in the wild. Zoogoneticus tequila,or the Tequila splitfin is a livebearing fish occuring in Jalisco Mexico. This fish is in the goodeid family, which all are found in central Mexico. Unlike other fish which lay eggs, this unique fish gives birth to live young. The young when forming inside the mother, go through a very similar process similar to how humans form. These fish actually have a placenta in which they absorb nutrients from and even an umbilical cord. You may have heard of guppies which give birth in a similar way. However unlike goodeids, guppy fry form from eggs while inside the mother lacking a placenta and umbilical cord. This would make them false livebearers, even though they are the typical livebearer. The demands for goodeids are small and simple; pristine water conditions, no mulm(debris in the bottom of the tank), low water temperatures, high quality food, and preferably kept in a species only tank as they can be somewhat aggressive. Goodeids are an interesting alternative for your regular tropical fish, as they are rare and easy to take care of. This fish’s relatives are also facing extinction as their habitats are getting polluted, destroyed and diminished. These fish live only in very specific rivers and if they’re destroyed, they will easily disappear. When setting up a tank for them, try to replicate a river like environment as that is what they are adapted to. If the proper conditions are met, your tank will soon fill with these fish as they reproduce easily. 

The blind cave fish, a very special fish Asyatnax Mexicanus

These fish are an absolute joy to have as they ceaselessly swim around the aquarium. And yes they don’t have eyes. They seem to have an endless hunger and always want food. Originating from cave systems from Texas to northern Mexico, these fish have evolved to no longer use eyes since having eyesight in a pitch black environment is a waste of energy and is pretty much useless. These fish are very hardy and have adapted to low food supplies. No need to worry about how theyll find food because their sense of smell is very acute. When setting up a tank its crucial to have good water quality and a water temperature of 70 to 85 degrees. A good quality fish food would also benefit your fish. These overall are a great fish to have. 

[fishihavecaught]

Mexico Day 2

In the morning over breakfast we learned that Norman had been able to procure another vehicle from the University, but it was only an extended cab Fort Ranger. So Norman also volunteered his personal car and we were back on the road, but split up into two vehicles. It was determined that the best course of action would be to continue to the lake for sampling that we were supposed to hit yesterday afternoon and then continue on to Morelia and the Aqualab. This would put us back on schedule, but would mean that we would miss both sites originally intended for the day, as well as increase our driving time drastically. We finally got both vehicles and left Cuernavaca around 11:00.

Our new ride - me and Pat. Photo by Ben.

We went high into the mountains to Lagunas de Zempoala National Park to check out a lake that has a very interesting population of Darkedge Splitfins (Girardinichthys multiradiatus).

One of the lakes in the National Park.

It was fed by a nice little mountain stream.

Ben crossing the makeshift bridge.

Aside from the splitfin population, the only other fish in this lake was introduced Rainbow Trout. A couple were caught in the stream by shocking, but they were only about 5 inches long. Ben and I poked around for fish while the other guys started netting in the weeds. They caught a few in the nets and Ben found a bunch along the shore of the lake. I attempted to hook one for like an hour but they were very spooky and tiny fish. Ben finally landed one near the end of our visit and it was the only fish caught this day. 

I am from Florida, so this is the highest elevation I have ever fished.

After leaving the lake we stopped at a roadside vendor and had some of the most interesting tacos ever. From top to bottom, left to right: Pumpkin, Chorizo, Chicharrón, Blood Sausage, Corn Fungus, Chicken, Beef. 

Afterwards we drove over four hours to make it to Morelia Aqualab by nightfall. The Aqualab runs a goodied breeding facility and is currently working on a project to reintroduce the extinct in the wild species Tequila Splitfin (Zoogoneticus tequila). The keep most of the species of goodieds and the facility was very impressive.

Goodieds at the Morelia Aqualab

Goodied at the Morelia Aqualab

Kurt using a photo tank at the Aqualab

We also got to examine the facilities specimen collection.

Finally, after checking into our hotel late at night, we had dinner across the street from the cathedral.

Tomorrow we were going to be back on the road towards Guadalajara with more chances to fish.