Von hinten aufgerollt: Die Goodeiden von A bis Z. Die Gattung Skiffia

" In his fourth part of our series "Goodeids from Z to A" the author introduces the genus Skiffia. This genus consists of three highly attractive species whose males show a characteristic shape of the dorsal fin, which is marked by a recess after the fourth or fifth fin ray. The colouration of Skiffia francesae is mainly yellow with a metallic-blue sheen on the back, skiffia multipunctata shows a broad variety of colour patterns reaching from a colouration similar to francesae over spotted flanks to almost completely black bodies. females of Skiffia lennae show a yellow colouration on the belly, sexually active males of this species have a blue body with a blue-black head and an orange coloured dorsal fin, lermae from Lago Zacapu obviously are coloured yellow in both sexes. Often Skiffia bilineata is considered the fourth valid species of this genus, but mtDNA-based sequence analysis suggests the conclusion that this species should be revalidated as Neotoca bilineata. The taxonomic status of Skiffia variegata from the Lago Zirahuen remains unknown, but examination of fixed specimens did not reveal significant differences to S. lermae. Live stock is not available and the natural population has vanished. Skiffia multipunctata was found in several locations in the vicinity of the Lerma, but has disappeared from many places in recent years. Skiffia francesae was found in the upper Teuchitlán river only, and has been extinct in the wild since 1978. In 2007 a population similar to Skiffia francesae was detected in the Sayula Valley, and its taxonomic status still remains unsolved. It is probably more closely related to S. francesae than to multipundata, but the genetic distance of these latter species differs only by 1.7%. This remarkable low value leads to the conclusion that the status of the Sayula population (which is extinct in the wild because of the desiccation of its habitat in 2010) does not allow it to be considered a separate taxon, and the question of the validity of francesae is open to discussion. After a problematic phase in the 1980s and 90s aquarium maintenance of Skiffia is easy today. Litter size ranges from 12-20 (up to 30) fry. A weekly water exchange of at least 50% is recommended, and the temperature regime should oscillate between 15 and 24°C max all year round. Skiffia avail themselves of tank settings with algae growth. Their feeding should contain vegetal components; food items rich in protein should only be given sparingly. The author takes the view that in multipunctata-strains with unspotted and spotted males the spotted ones occasionally get superseded after some time. Strains consisting of spotted males only do not show this problem "