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Allotoca maculata

 

   Basic data:

 

  • Scientific name:  Allotoca maculata (Smith & Miller, 1980)

  • Interpretation of words: Allotoca  (allos = other, tokos = birth),  maculata = pegast 

  • Group: Livebirds

  • Source:  North America : Mexico, endemic to Jalisco

  • Size: Males: 6.5 cm, females: 7.5 cm

  • Biotope / habitat : Mud ponds and streams, vegetation

  • Social behavior: Basically peaceful fish, slight rivalry between males. Hierarchy.

  • Diet: Omnivore, frozen and lyophilized food (invertebrates)

  • Cultivation: Medium difficult

  • Aquarium: Minimum 100 liters

  • Population: flocks per 100 liters of water

  • Decoration: Plants, stones, roots, dark background

  • Temperature: 13-25 ° C  (17-22)

  • pH: 6.5-7.5

  • Hardness: not essential

  • Life span: 

Kingdom: Animalia / animals

Trunk: Chordata / string players

Class: Actinopterygii / arthropods

Order: Cyprinodontiformes / Toothpicks

Family: Goodeidae / live-bearing Mexican carp

Gender:  Allotoca

Type:  Allotoca maculata (Smith & Miller, 1980)

Food

  The fish is primarily a carnivore / predator. It is fed frozen, lyophilized or fresh food (invertebrates) 

Cultivation

  It is grown in an aquarium full of plants and branched roots on gravel and many hiding places with a volume of more than 100 liters. They need clean water, good filtration and moderate water flow. The aquarium should be intended only for him, he can be aggressive towards other fish. They like low water and a depth of 25 cm is enough. Piece-rich water (at least 8 mg / l)

For the species to thrive, it is necessary to simulate winter time, where the temperature drops below 20 ° for two months. With this, fish gain resistance, otherwise they like to get sick (winter rest), they need regular weekly water changes (50-70%). The species is very successfully grown in outdoor ponds during the summer, just be careful to move them to aquariums before the temperature drops below 13 degrees in autumn. The adults are light gray green on the back and silver below. The color of the backs of females is spread on the sides in three to six vertical lines, separated by four to seven visible spots of bright iridescent blue.

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Reproduction

  In winter, fish do not reproduce, when the temperature is gradually raised to 20 ° C and the breeding time begins.

Reproduction is stopped below 20 ° and above 25 ° C. Parents of puppies do not eat in principle except for lack of food.

The development of the young takes up to 65 days and the female gives birth to up to 25 offspring, which are large  10 mm.

The fish are sexually mature from the third to the tenth month, the female can have a maximum of 10 young in the first year. During high pregnancy, females respond quite aggressively to the approach of the male. After seven weeks, we can already separate the sexes.

 

 

Interesting

  This species does not store sperm like most live births. Trophothenia performs a similar function as the placenta in mammals, in newly hatched pups we can observe the remains of the "umbilical cord", which soon disappears.

It is practically extinct in nature and the credit for the conservation of the species goes to aquarists around the world.

In 1980 and 1982, Laguna Magdalena dried up completely during a long drought and this species was not caught until 1990, so it was declared extinct (Miller, 1990). In 2004, it was rediscovered in an artificial pond near the lagoon, and in 2008, Czech aquarists again reported finding the species in Magdalena Lagoon.

 

5/5/2021
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