Bumblebee goodeid

Allotoca dugesii

Also known as Opal allotoca, Bumblebee allotoca

FreshwaterFish

Care at a glance

Temperature: 64–79°F (18–26°C)
pH: 7.0–8.0
Adult size: 2.8 in (7 cm)
Minimum tank: 20 gal (75 L)
Temperament: Mostly peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Medium
Rarity: Very rare
Origin: Endemic to the highlands of Michoacan and Jalisco, Mexico, in the upper Rio Lerma basin, Lake Patzcuaro, and nearby springs and lakes.
Family: Goodeidae

Overview

Keep six or more in 75 liters or larger at 18 to 26 C, pH 7.0 to 8.0, in medium hard to hard water. Feed a balanced diet of vegetable flake, algae, and modest amounts of frozen daphnia and brine shrimp, and go easy on very rich foods so females do not become overgravid. Best in a species tank or with other calm goodeids. Females reach about 7 cm, males a little smaller.

In the wild

A dark, velvety goodeid whose males show near black bodies with bright yellow to orange fins, giving the bumblebee name. Keep a group in a planted tank with hard water, some current, and quiet corners out of the flow. They graze algae and take most foods. This is an endangered highland species, so aquarium breeding helps hold a safety population.

Good to know

Allotoca dugesii is a matrotrophic goodeid livebearer that gives birth to well developed young fed internally through trophotaeniae. Females can carry large broods, and overfeeding rich foods can leave them overloaded and struggling to give birth. It is listed as endangered in the wild.