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   Basic data:

 

  • Scientific name:  Ameca splendens  (RR Miller & Fitzsimons, 1971)   

  • Interpretation of words: Ameca (along the river that represents one of its habitats), splendens (Latin means to shine or shine)

  • Slovenian name: Bleščeči mehiški krapič, Bleščeča metuljarica

  • Group: Livebirds

  • Source:  North America : Jalisco, Mexico, Rio Teuchitlán and      Rio Ameca

  • Size: Males: 8 cm, females: 12 cm

  • Biotope / habitat : Rio Teuchitlan in Rio Ameca.

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

  • Diet: Omnivore, essential plant part 

  • Cultivation: Easy

  • Aquarium: Minimum 150 liters

  • Population: flocks per 150 liters of water

  • Decoration: Plants, stones, roots, dark background, algae

  • Temperature: 15-30 ° C      (21-25)

  • pH: 6.7-7.8

  • Hardness: from 5 ° dGh to 19 ° dGh

  • Salinity max. 1.6 ‰ (1,004) 

  • Lifespan: 5 years

Akvarijske ribe, Ameca splendens, živorodke
Akvarijske ribe, Ameca splendens, živorodke

Kingdom: Animalia / animals

Trunk: Chordata / string players

Class: Actinopterygii / arthropods

Order: Cyprinodontiformes / Toothpicks

Family: Goodeidae / live-bearing Mexican carp

Genus: Ameca

Species: Ameca splendens  (RR Miller & Fitzsimons, 1971)

Ameca splendens 

Brilliant Mexican carp    

Akvarijske ribe, Ameca splendens - bleščeči mehiški krapič

Cultivation

 It is grown in a species aquarium or with other Mexican live-bearing animals ( Xenotoca , Zoogoneticus , ..), or together with Central American perch. Prepare them an aquarium with many hiding places, where there should be a dark base, stones and plants  (Ceratophyllum and Eichhornia) with swimming area, moderate water flow and efficient filtration.

It tolerates large temperature deviations, needs a lot of oxygen and good water quality. The fish enjoy a nightly drop in temperature of 5 degrees, which also contributes to resilience and health in general. Fish are curious and always hungry.

 

Food

  It is omnivorous, it is the best of all, it is known to feed on red bearded and green filamentous algae, it needs a sufficient amount of plant food if we want to preserve beautiful plants (spinach, ...), and healthy fish.

Reproduction

  We can prepare a pair or a school of fish, there should be a lot of plants in the aquarium.

Family  Goodeidae is unique among live births, embryos  they develop in development through a maternal "trophotenia" tube.

Trophothenia is a day or two  still visible after the birth of pups. The incubation period is two months.

The female gives birth to 5 to 30 pups that are quite large (up to 2.5 cm) and immediately start competing for food.

Courtship in this species begins with the female. The female begins mating by swimming diagonally in front of the male and dancing in front of him. The male is strongly colored in wedding colors and courtship begins. Parents rarely eat young.

After the birth of the young, the female is in a very bad condition, but she recovers quickly with a good diet. If we separate the fish, we prefer to remove the male from the female rather than the other way around, the fertilized female can experience shock due to the catch and we can say goodbye to the brood, in severe cases the female also dies.

 

 

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 (2-3 days). This species was already considered extinct, which fortunately is not true. Hierarchy, the alpha male in the aquarium has lighter colors and stands out for its liveliness. Both sexes are grayish in color, the dominant males have a vivid yellow bordered tail fin. They have dark spots and spots along the body, older males have a metallic-green sheen on the back and hips. Colors come to the fore especially during courtship. Fish also tolerate higher temperatures (above 25 ° C), which risks becoming sterile.

 

 

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