Objectives

  The Goodeid Working Group is a non-profitable international working group managed and run on a 100% voluntary basis. It was established on 1st May, 2009 in Stoholm, Denmark in response to the critical environmental issues facing the majority of wild Goodeid species/populations, plus the poorly-documented ‘disappearance’ of captive collections.

  The primary goal of the Goodeid Working Group is to promote collaboration between like-minded hobbyists, universities, public aquaria, zoos, museums and conservation projects in order to maintain aquarium populations of Goodeids while assisting in preservation of remaining natural habitats.

  The basis for our project is knowledge obtained via practical experiences of our members, the formation of a comprehensive species database, scientific studies, conservation work being undertaken by public members plus affiliation with scientists and volunteers from Mexico and the United States involved in monitoring wild populations.

  Diligent monitoring and long-term maintenance of captive Goodeid populations is therefore one of our main endeavors, largely aided by our chapters (European and North American), regional groups and species respectively population mentors. 

  Within this framework individual breeders are encouraged to maintain physical and genetic integrity in their fishes since potential reintroduction schemes and sustainable long-term captive maintenance will rely on high quality stock. 

  Another fundamental aim is the compilation of a database containing Goodeid literature relating to systematics, biogeography, biology, ecology, captive reproduction and maintenance, practical experiences and conservation status both in nature and captivity.

  Starting with surveys to the habitats of Mexican Goodeids in 2014, the in-situ part became stronger and stronger. Being at the begin restricted to ex-situ breeding activities and international conventions, the travels to Mexico, the building of networks and the including of in-situ information became more and more important. 

  In October 2023, the Goodeid Working Group launched together with the Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Shoal, Chester Zoo, and the IUCN SSC Freshwater Conservation Committee and other organisations Plan G, an action plan for the conservation of all extant Goodeid species found in Mexico. 

  In the same year, the family Profundulidae, the sister family to Goodeids, was included in the activities of the Goodeid Working Group. Its members are found in the federal states of Guerrero, Oaxaca and Chiapas in the southern part of Mexico, as well as in the Central American countries Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras. Although this family is of interest to Mesoamerican scientists, it has been totally forgotten by aquarists, mainly because it doesn't fit into the "typical" killifish scheme and is also distributed in areas that are not targeted by aquarists. On the other hand, many of the species live in restricted areas and some are highly endangered. There are some conservation projects (Profundulus oaxacae, Tlaloc hildebrandi), but lack popularity. All in all, the Profundulids are an overlooked family without a big lobby, similar to the Goodeids in the pre-GWG era.