Mexican habitats

 

Photos and description by Pr. Omar Dominguez

Adapted by D.Montanari

 

Here you can find pics and information about some Mexican livebearers’ habitat. Near each photo you can read a short description of the environment and a list of the species you can find in the body of water.

 

 

BUSQUEDA (1st photo): This site is located in Lake Zirahuen. Now it’s quite difficult to find any goodeids (only a few GOODEA ATRIPINNIS) because of the in introduction of Black Bass (MICROPTERUS SALMOIDES), that is a predator of any small fish found in the same water. In the past here has been collected these species: ALLOTOCA DUGESI, ALLOTOCA MEEKI, SKIFFIA LERMAE, GOODEA ATRIPINNIS and ALLOOPHORUS ROBUSTUS, and some others non – goodeid as ATHERINIDS and introduced species as bass ad carps.

In the upper part of this basin , in OPOPEO (2nd photo) (that is a small pond) we can find more goodeids :

ALLOTOCA DUGESI, ALLOTOCA MEEKI, GOODEA ATRIPINNIS, (2 different forms of Goodea : the black (or gray) one and the yellow (golden) one that Omar suppose can be an albino form).

CUTZARONDIRO : This habitat is in the Balsas basin , and we may find here : ILYODON CORTESAE and NOTROPIS BOUCARDI, is the only known locality for I. CORTESAE.

 

EL BORBOLLON LA MAIZA : El borbollon is a spring situated in the upper Cuitzeo drainage. Here we can find : SKIFFIA BILINEATA, S. LERMAE, GOODEA ATRIPINNIS and ALLOTOCA DUGESI. This spring flow to the  Moreli river and to the Cuitzeo lake.

 

EL MOLLINO : is  a spring near Patzcuaro lake, and it is a tributary of the lake itself. Here we may find :

ALLOPHORUS ROBUSTUS, ALOTOCA DUGESII, ALLOTOCA DIAZI , SKIFFIA LERMAE and GOODEA ATRIPINNIS.

 

PARACUAR :  It’s a spring in the Balsas drainage and we can find  ILYODON WHITEI.

 

PRESA QUERENDARO : It’s located in the upper Cuitzeo drainage and here we find :SKIFFIA BILINEATA, ALLOTOCA DUGESI and GOODEA ATRIPINNIS

 

S.CRISTOBAL CUITZEO : It’s a spring in Cuitzeo lake and here we can collect: ZOOGONETICUS QUITZEOENSIS, ALLOOPHORUS ROBUSTUS, GOODEA ATRIPINNIS and XENOTOCA VARIATA.

 

ZACAPU (underwater picture) : It’s a lake in the middle Lerma basin. It’s not polluted therefore is one of the best sites for goodeids. It’s one of the last healthy reservoirs for goodeids. In the pic u can see the underwater environment in LA ANGOSTRA spring. The plant in the picture should be TIPHA DOMINGUENSIS or CERATOPHYLLUM. Here we can find:  ALLOTOCA ZACAPUENSIS, GOODEA ATRIPINNIS, ALLOOPHORUS ROBUSTUS, XENOTOCA VARIATA, ZOOGONETICUS QUITZEOENSIS, HUBBSINA TURNERI, SKIFFIA LERMAE and CIPRINIDS, ATHERINIDS, POECILIOPSIS INFANS, and introduced species.

 

ZIRAHUEN (underwater picture): See the busqueda’s description. In this pic you can see the bottom of the lake and some POTAMOGETON ILINOENSIS.

NOTE: We will add as soon as possible also some water parameter taken in this sites.