The genus Ilyodon currently comprises 4 or 5 species (the status of I. lennoni is under discussion). Like all livebearing members of the family Goodeidae (splitfins) they are restricted to the highlands of Mexico. Ilyodon whitei lives in the upper tributaries of the Rio Balsas on the Pacific slope of Mexico. The peaceful and elegant toothcarps reach a length of 6 to 8 cm.
Sadly only few aquarists keep and breed splitfins and in the trade they are even rarer. This is a pity, as many species are in danger of extinction in the wild due to environment destruction. Currently Ilyodon whitei is classified as „critically endangered“ by the international Red List. This is the last warning before the complete extinction in the wild.
Nevertheless there are no laws regarding trading and keeping the species, for it is accepted for a long time in science that the live trade with small fish does not harm natural populations. This is especially true for I. whitei, as they are traded only as bred specimens. There is no commercial exporter of ornamental freshwater fish in Mexico.
In the aquarium this beautiful and a bit shy species needs changing water temperatures to stay healthy. The lower temperature level can be around 16°C, the upper around 28°C. If you keep this fish over months at a continous temperature they become weaker and weaker and in the end they stop reproduction..
All dried, frozen and live food is taken readily. Some algae from the garden pond are an ideal food supplement.
Text & photos: Frank Schäfer
| Angaben zum Tier | |
|---|---|
| Herkunft | Nachzucht / Bred |
| Verfügbare Größe in cm | 6 |
