Crescent gambusia

Gambusia hurtadoi

Also known as Hurtado's gambusia

FreshwaterFish

Crescent gambusia (Gambusia hurtadoi) — (c) Jacob Malcom, some rights reserved (CC BY-SA), uploaded by Jacob Malcom · cc-by-sa

Care at a glance

Temperature: 68–79°F (20–26°C)
pH: 7.0–8.2
Adult size: 2 in (5 cm)
Minimum tank: 14 gal (54 L)
Temperament: Peaceful
Social behavior: Social
Swim level: Middle
Difficulty: Medium
Breeding: Easy
Rarity: Rare
Origin: Ojo de la Hacienda Dolores springs, Chihuahua, Mexico
Family: Poeciliidae

Overview

A spring-dwelling gambusia that does best as a small colony, with several females to each male so the males' attention is shared around rather than fixed on one fish. It swims mostly in the middle of the tank and stays fairly active, so leave clear water between the plants. It is peaceful and suits a quiet species setup or a community of calm, hardy fish that enjoy the same cool, hard water. Offer a mixed diet of fine flake, small frozen foods like daphnia and cyclops, and a little vegetable matter or biofilm. Around 54 liters is enough for a group to establish.

In the wild

The crescent gambusia comes from desert spring systems around the Ojo de la Hacienda Dolores in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, where the water is clear, mineral-rich, and thermally steady. Recreate that with clean, well-oxygenated water on the harder side, pH about 7.0 to 8.2 and a cool 20 to 26 degrees Celsius. Fine gravel or sand, some rock, and hardy plants around the edges give it a natural look while leaving open water to swim in.

Good to know

Gambusia hurtadoi is a livebearer in the family Poeciliidae, described by Carl Hubbs and Victor Springer in 1957. It grows to about 5 centimeters, with females the larger sex, and like all gambusias it gives birth to live, free-swimming young; a settled group breeds readily. The species honors Leopoldo Hurtado, who helped the describers during their 1951 collecting trip through Chihuahua.

Did you know

Its entire natural range is a small cluster of desert springs in one Mexican state, and the species is listed as critically endangered. A home aquarium can easily hold more water than parts of the wild habitat it comes from.