Bad year for Goodeids

The year 2011 turned into a rather bad year for Goodeids in México: The members of the Goodeid Working Group had been looking worldwide for breeders of the ancient strain of Skiffia francesae from the Río Teuchitlán to detect them before they came into danger to be crossbred with fish from the quite recently collected strain from the Sayula valley (2007), which is called Skiffia sp."Sayula". This species (?) resembles very close the species francesae, and is sometimes thought to belong to this species out of several reasons. One is, that all Goodeid species from the Sayula valley are related to species from the Teuchitlán area, or even belong to the same species, like Ameca splendens. However, while looking for the old strain, we were informed, that the habitat of the Sayula-Skiffia, the spring Cuyacapan, has dried out and no fish could be found there anymore. Photos sent me by Omar Domínguez proofed that.

But not bad enough, in April an Email from Juan Miguel Artigas-Azas shocked us: He wrote, that he had been in El Toboso, where nearby the Black Prince, Characodon audax used to live, and he has found, that the pool as well as the small creek to the pool were dry, whereas in the spring pool of El Ojo de agua de las mujeres, the origin of the creek and type location of Characodon audax, he could only collect masses of Gambusia senilis. He tried it for at least four hours, but had been unsuccessful in catching any Characodon. He didn't want to say so, but it looked like the Black Prince vanished. Nearly the same time, we heard about a similar situation for Characodon lateralis, or maybe Characodon sp., from Amado Nervo. The last collection there revealed only one single juvenile male beneath masses of terrestrial vegetation. The habitat seemed to be disappearing. For us Goodeid breeders, it looked like we were - despite all our efforts - always one step behind. 

Meanwhile, after our 2nd International Meeting in Pont L' Eveque and the speech from Michael Tobler, we know now, that the situation of the genus Characodon has become absolutely dramatic! Except the habitats of Characodon lateralis in the vicinity of Los Berros (Ojo de agua de San Juan, Ojo de agua Los Berros and the tiny spring La Constancia), we can find Characodon in bigger numbers only near Abraham Gonzales and Guadalupe Aguilera, both Characodon audax. The species vanished from the habitat of the Río Canatlán (Los Pinos) as well as from El Toboso. About the recently detected habitat called Puente Pino Suarez (2006), we do not have information already, but will inform you later. 

The GWG reacted immediately: The French regional group around Alain Grioche started a breeding program for Skiffia francesae, spreading surplus from Joel Healy and Guenther Schleussner among 4 breeders. The French even originated a breeding center for Characodon in the Normandy, starting with Characodon lateralis/sp. from Amado Nervo, but willing to extend it on other forms as soon as it works well. Surplus from Joel Healy and Gunter Teichmann have been used to initialize this center. We keep you informed about developement and success. At this topic, please also read the news about reintroduction projects for Goodeids!

Meanwhile, the French group of GWG went onwards and is cooperating with other groups, above all the Dutch one, in conserving all populations of Characodon, encompassing revitalizing of biotops and building facilities to breed them. The French group elected the genus Characodon as one of their main genera for their efforts. Together with Mexican and US American scientists, a list of threats and possibilities to save the members of this genus as well as a concept for further steps shall be made. Kees de Jong has been suggested by Alain Grioche to lead the project.