Fishes: Amecca Splendens

Monday, 23 July 2012

Amecca Splendens

Ameca splendens, a bony fish from the monotypic genus Ameca of the splitfin family (Goodeidae), is commonly known as the Butterfly Goodeid or Butterfly Splitfin. It was formerly found throughout the Ameca River drainage in Mexico; the type locality is Rio Teuchitlán in the vicinity of Teuchitlán, Jalisco. The species was only ever found in an area about 10 miles (15 km) in diameter.Today, the species is rated as extinct in the wild by the IUCN, though it is noted that this assessment is obsolete a remnant population has been found to persist in El Rincón waterpark near the town of Ameca. Possibly, it also exists in a feral state in the USA; individuals apparently derived from escaped or introduced captive stock were met with in southeastern Nevada.For some time, it was a popular fish among aquarists, but hobbyist stocks have declined quite a lot more recently, placing its survival in jeopardy