Threatened fishes of the world: Profundulus hildebrandi Miller, 1950 (Profundulidae)

• DOI: 10.1007/s10641-008-9425-8
• Publication Date: 2008-10-03T21:29:11Z
• Authors: Ernesto Velázquez...; Jacobo Schmitter-...; Sara Domínguez-Ci...
• Keywords: Miller

Common names: Escamudo de San Cristobal; Chiapas killifish. Conservation status: Endangered on Mexican red list (DOF 2002). Identification: D: 11–13; A: 14– 17; P: 16–21. Lower jaw broad, heavy, protruding and including upper jaw; body slender, a caudal ocellus (Figure 1). Lateral scales 32 to 34; gill rakers 14–20. Coloration: the narrow, irregular vertical bars of the young and juveniles are mostly continuous. Origin of the dorsal fin posterior to that of the anal; elongated anal fin in adult females (Miller 1950). Maximum size (TL) for males and females is 120.5 mm and 130.1 mm respectively. Distribution: Endemic to the Sierra of San Cristobal, Chiapas, Mexico, at 2,110–2,360 m altitude (VelazquezVelazquez and Schmitter-Soto 2004). Abundance: The total estimated population is approximately 40000 individuals (95% confidence interval 7745 to 72047) (Velazquez-Velazquez and Schmitter-Soto 2004). Habitat and ecology: Lotic and lentic environments; physicochemical characteristics: temperature (14.4–18.9°C), DO (4.2–10.7 mg/l), pH (6.3–8.1), conductivity (124.2–828 μS). It feeds mainly on insect larvae (Chironomus sp.) and crustaceans (VelazquezVelazquez et al. 2007). Reproduction: Breeding occurs from January to June; sex ratio is close to 1:1. Threats: Introduced exotic species: Micropterus salmoides, Oncorhynchys mykiss, Ctenopharyngodon idella, Cyprinus carpio, Rana catesbeiana and a tapeworm Bothriocephalus acheilognathi (VelazquezVelazquez et al. 2007). Additional risk factors included urban growth and sewage pollution of streams, habitat destruction, fragmentation and modification. Conservation action: Recently the local government established a wetlands park, and introduced hundreds killifish. We are implementing a research project on the biology of P. hildebrandi, to develop a management plan to protect the entire habitat, using the killifish as a flag species. Environ Biol Fish (2009) 84:345–346 DOI 10.1007/s10641-008-9425-8