J.Alvarez 1959.

Nuevas especies de Xiphophorus e Hyporhamphus procedents del Rio Coatzacoalcos
Cienc. Mex. 19: 69-73.

Males 50mm, females 55mm.

Member of the group comprising alvarezi, birchmanni, continens, cortezi, helleri, malinche, montezumae, multilineatus, nezahualcoyotl, nigrensis, pygmaeus & signum.

Populations

• Puente Chinoluiz, Oaxa State, Mexico.

Arroyo La Cascada. This is the location of the headwater of the Rio Sarabia on the San Carlos Ranch, 24km east of Palomares, state of Oaxaca.

Mexico. First thought to be restricted to the headwaters of the Rio Sarabia towards the confluense with the Rio Coatzacoalcos. Dr. Klaus Kallman later collected this species in a more widespread area.

Type material was described as being collected in 'clear water with no vegetation. The bottom consisted of mud, silt & brush'. The stream was 1·s m wide & was edged with dense tropical rainforest. Water flow was slow to non-existant at the time of collection (March 1957) but in February 1959 this stream was described as a raging torrent, clemenciae were found in greater numbers.
Sympatric species include - X.helleri, Priapella intermedia, Poeciliopsis gracilis, Cichlasoma aureum, C.fenestratum & an Astynax sp.

First collected by Dr.Miller who did not describe the species as it was thought to be X.helleri due it's similarity. The type material was later collected by José Alvarez on the 26th May 1959 who described the species.

Derek Lambert reported in 'Platies & Swordtails' that this species has a reputation of producing small broods of weak, tiny young which were produced erratically.
The ALA apparently had no problems in reproducing the species.
Derek reported that wild fish (probably collected at Puente Chinoluiz) dropped young at intervals of 25 - 31 days. Brood sizes ranged from 5 for a small female up to 60 for an adult female. It was noted that females dropped during daytime & would pick at the young.
Fry were small but would accept newly hatched brine shrimp as a first food.
Adults were fed newly hatched brine shrimp & flake. Adult females were allowed to drop in a colony set up. Some fry were eaten but a good numer survived & grew on.
Derek reported that females about to give birth show a larger & darker gravid spot & had a more squared off appearance to the body.