TankBud

Butterfly goodeid

Ameca splendens

Also known as Butterfly splitfin, Ameca goodeid

FreshwaterFish

Butterfly goodeid (Ameca splendens)
Marie France Janelle · CC BY-SA 2.5

Care at a glance

Temperature
68–82°F
20–28°C
pH
7.0–8.0
Adult size
4.7 in
12 cm
Minimum tank
24 gal
90 L
Temperament
Mostly peaceful
Social behavior
Social
Tankmates
With caution
Swim level
Middle
Difficulty
Easy
Breeding
Easy
Rarity
Rare
Family
Goodeidae
Origin
Endemic to the Rio Ameca and Rio Teuchitlan basins in Jalisco and Nayarit, Mexico, in warm, hard springs and slow pools.

Overview

Keep a group of six or more in a tank of 90 liters or larger at 20 to 28 C, pH 7.0 to 8.0, in hard water. Feed a mostly vegetable diet of spirulina flake, blanched greens, and algae, with some frozen daphnia or brine shrimp. They are active and nip long fins, so avoid slow, long finned tankmates and use robust, fast companions or a species tank. Females reach about 12 cm and are bigger than males.

In the wild

Give a group a well planted tank of at least 90 cm length with open swimming space, hard alkaline water, and gentle current. They graze algae off rocks and plants, so a mature tank with some green film suits them well. A few flat stones and bright light bring out the blue green sheen and yellow edged tail of a dominant male. This species is nearly gone in the wild, so aquarium stocks matter.

Good to know

Ameca splendens is a goodeid, one of a family of Mexican livebearers whose females nourish developing young through a placenta like structure called a trophotaenia rather than a simple yolk sac. Broods are small, usually 10 to 30 large fry every couple of months. Males lack the rod like gonopodium of guppies and instead use a notched front section of the anal fin called an andropodium.

Did you know

The wild Rio Teuchitlan population collapsed, and for years the butterfly goodeid survived mainly in hobbyist tanks before conservation attention turned to saving it.

Common questions

What size tank does a Butterfly goodeid need?

A Butterfly goodeid needs at least 24 gal (90 L). It spends most of its time in the middle.

What temperature and pH does a Butterfly goodeid need?

A Butterfly goodeid is comfortable at 68–82°F (20–28°C) with a pH of 7.0–8.0.

How big does a Butterfly goodeid get?

An adult Butterfly goodeid reaches about 4.7 in (12 cm).

Related species