JORDAN & GILBERT, 1883

Characodon furcidens JORDAN & GILBERT, 1883
Ilyodon paraguayense EIGENMANN, 1907
Ilyodon furcidens TURNER, 1937
Balsadichthys xantusi HUBBS & TURNER, 1939
Ilyodon xantusi MILLER & FITZSIMONS, 1971
Ilyodon furcidens amecae KINGSTON, 1979
Ilyodon amecae RADDA, 1989

English name:
Goldbreast Ilyodon

Family:
Goodeidae JORDAN, 1923.

Subfamily:
Goodeinae JORDAN, 1923.

Original description:
JORDAN, D. S. & GILBERT, C. H. (1882): Catalogue of the fishes collected by Mr. John Xantus at Cape San Lucas, which are now in the US Nat. Mus., with descriptions of eight new species. Proc. US Nat. Mus., 5: pp. 353-371

Origin of the species name:
the name furcidens (lat). refers to the forked teeth of the fish

Type locality:
Not clear, JORDAN and GILBERT declare Cape San Lucas. HUBBS (1932) apparently recognizes the mistake and announces Colima as natural habitat.

Meristic properties:
Dorsal fin = 14-17 rays;
ventral fin = 6 rays;
Pectoral fin = 14-16 rays.
 

Ilyodon furcidens originates from rivers and ponds in the Mexican federal states Colima and Jalisco. These Goodeids are normally found in quickly-flowing waters which drain the southern slopes of the Mesa Central into the Pacific. The males and females reach a body-size of about 10 cm.

The culture of this species is easy. Aquariums of 80 liters or larger should be used.

The water temperature should fluctuate between 18 °C and 26 °C. Hard water with a pH value of approximately 7 to 9 is best for these fish.

Ilyodon furcidens is a peaceful fish and can be kept in a community tank. The males will often fight among themselves without injuring each other so hiding places in the aquarium, such as plants, stone constructions and roots will be beneficial. It is also advantageous to have several males in one tank, so that a possible, but rare conflict is spread over several fish.

Ilyodon furcidens is a lively, strong swimming fish that will enjoy a water current in the aquarium. The fish develop a small cervical hump with increasing age.

The food demands of Ilyodon furcidens are modest, so that flakes, frozen and live-food of all kinds are accepted. A vegetable portion should be included in the diet. Any algae in the aquarium will become an additional source of food. In its natural environment Ilyodon furcidens lives in many different biotopes, all with a dense growth of algae.

Breeding succeeds without any assistance. After a pregnancy of about 7-8 weeks around 20 fry are delivered and these fry can be as much as 15-20 mms long. This large size means raising the fry is without trouble. When Ilyodon furcidens is kept in a species tank, the younger generations increase naturally, since the older animals do not chase their young.

The highest number of offspring in one spawn that I know was 54!

Literature of:

Ilyodon furcidens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882)

B. Bishopp (1985) : The gold breasted goodeid. Livebearers  (84): 3-5

O. Böhm (1989) : Fische aus dem Hochland Mexikos. TI  (93): 19-20

G.M.  Clayton & D.J. Price (1992) : Interspecific and intraspecific variation in resistance to ichtyophthiriasis among poeciliid and goodeid fishes. Journal of Fish Biology  (40): 445-453

J. Dawes (1998) : Goodeiden Teil 3 (Schluß): Kurzbeschreibungen zu einigen Arten (2). Das Aquarium  (343): 8-11

H. Flöthmann (1991) : Beobachtungen bei der Haltung und Zucht von Goodeiden. DGLZ-Rundschau  (4): 83-85

R.C.  Griffiths (1986) : Goodeids I have loved (or liked, anyway). Livebearers  (85): 8-9

C. Grimes (1980) : Birth is not always a "blessed event". Livebearers  (52): 3-5

P. Hartman (1984) : Transporting goodeids. Livebearers  (75): 19-19

P. Hartman (1989) : Ilyodon furcidens. Livebearers  (104): 17-18

H. Hieronimus (1984) : Sind Ilyodon furcidens und Ilyodon xantusi nur Morphen einer einzigen Art?. DGLZ-Rundschau (4): 72-75

H. Hieronimus (1987) : Chromosomenuntersuchen an Ilyodon furcidens. DGLZ-Rundschau  (3): 4-6

H. Hieronimus (1988) : Zur Wurfzahl von Lebendgebärenden, speziell Ilyodon xantusi. DGLZ-Rundschau  (2): 20-20

H. Hieronimus (1990) : Zum Thema Kreuzungen bei Lebendgebärenden. DGLZ-Rundschau  (4): 6-7

H. Hieronimus (1990) : Zu einigen Fragen der Erstbeschreiber im Buch "Lebendgebärende Zierfische von Meyer, Wischnath & Förster. DGLZ-Rundschau  (3): 21-22

C.L.  Hubbs & C.L. Turner (1939) : Studies of the fishes of the order Cyprinodontes. XVI. A revision of the Goodeidae. Miscellaneaous Publications University of Michigan  (42): 1-80

K. de Jong (1985) : Hooglandkarpers. Poecilia Nieuws  (2): 14-15

B. Kabbes (1999) : Vangreis van Brian en Simone Kabbes, Mexico 1998 Conclusies en bevindingen Familie Goodeidae. Poecilia Nieuws  (2): 22-35

D. Lambert (2000) : Ilyodon furcidens (Jordan & Gilbert, 1882). Viviparous  (49): 0-

J.K.  Langhammer (1994) : The lost treasure of the Aztecs Part VI - recent changes in the family Goodeidae. Livebearers  (78): 3-3

J. Lyons (1997) : Fishes from the land of the trucha de tierra caliente. Freshwater & Marine Aquarium  (7): 127-136

J. Lyons & S. Navarro-Perez (1990) : Fishes of the Sierra de Manantlan, West-Central Mexico. The Southwestern Naturalist  (1): 32-46

S.E.  Meek (1904) : The fresh water fishes of Mexico north of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec. Field Columbian Museum - Zoology  (5): 1-252

M.K.  Meyer (1988) : Mexikanische lebendgebärende Hochlandkärpflinge der Gattung Ilyodon. TI  (88): 28-29

M.K.  Meyer & W. Förster (1983) : Eine neue Ilyodon-Art aus Guerrero, Mexiko. Zoologische Abhandlungen, Staatliches Museum fur Tierkunde Dresden  (16): 257-263

J. Paulo-Maya & P. Trujillo-Jiménez (2000) : Nueva especie de Ilyodon (Cyprinodontiformes: Goodeidae) de la cuenca de rÍo Balsas, México. Rev. Biol. Trop  (48): 465-472

A.C.  Radda (1986) : Cyprinodonte vissen in Mexico 3. Poecilia Nieuws  (2): 40-43

A.C.  Radda (1986) : De Goodeidae van Mexico; deel II. TI'H  (44): 11-14

J. Sabisch (2002) : Ilyodon xantusi Ein Erfahrungsbericht mit Hochlandkärpfling (Goodeiden). Aquaristik-Aktuell  (2): 20-23

P. Schubert (1991) : Goodeiden im Pflanzenbecken - Helfen oder ...?. DGLZ-Rundschau  (1): 16-16

H. Seeliger (1986) : Ein schöner Goodeide - Ilyodon furcidens. ZAG Lebendgebärende Zahnkarpfen  (2): 7-8

B.J.  Turner (1992) : Het verhaal van de Ilyodon. Poecilia Nieuws  (1): 9-11

B.J.  Turner (1992) : Het verhaal van de Ilyodon II. Poecilia Nieuws  (2): 39-41

J. Vente (1985) : Hooglandkarpers, Goodeidae. Het Aquarium  (3): 74-78

J. Vente (1986) : Ilyodon xantusi. Poecilia Nieuws  (3): -

L. Wischnath (1996) : Hooglandkarpers uit Mexico. Het Aquarium  (2): 32-36

G. Zurlo (1986) : Ilyodon xantusi, ein interessanter Hochlandkärpfling. Das Aquarium  (November): 570-572