As a primarily herbivorous species, the butterfly splitfin feeds on algae growing on the rock and concrete walls of the spring they are now restricted to. Despite being so rare, they occur in high densities and tend to be the dominant native species in this spring. They prefer clear, still water over a sand or gravel substate, though they have been seen to venture into the river connected to the spring.
Fun fact – It is easy to tell the sexes apart in butterfly splitfins – males have a yellow band on their caudal fins while females have a clear fin.
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Ecology
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Threats
Being so range-restricted makes this species highly vulnerable – agricultural pollution presents the risk of water contamination. Non-native fish may also reduce the butterfly splitfin population by outcompeting them for resources. In particular, the invasive fish species P. bimaculatus is highly aggressive and predates on a range of native fish, causing natives to disperse into ever more fragmented populations.
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Conservation
Conservation programmes targeting other endemic goodeid fish are positively impacting the butterfly splitfin, as the main action is to extract non-native fish from the area. This reduces competition for resources, which should help to increase butterfly splitfin populations. The samples stored by Nature’s SAFE are an important resource for increasing the genetic diversity of this species, giving them a chance at a more effective future recovery.
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© Rebecca Prest
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