| Meaning of Name | conto - meaning short, ensis - meaning place of origin or habitat. |
| First Description |
Rauchenberger, Kallman & Morizot 1990 Monophyly & geography of the Rio Panuco Basin
swordtails (genus Xiphophorus) with
descriptions of four new species. |
| Size |
Males 25 mm (sword size maximum 1 mm), females 35 mm. |
| Meristics | |
| Karyotype | |
| Sub-Genus | |
| Group |
Member of the group comprising alvarezi,
birchmanni, continens,
cortezi, helleri,
malinche, montezumae,
multilineatus, nezahualcoyotl,
nigrensis, pygmaeus
& signum. |
| Synonyms |
|
|
Populations
|
El
Quince, San Luis Potosi State. A small village at 'the end of the road'.Derek Lambert in 'Platies & Swordtails' considered this track through sugar cane fields only suitable for 4 wheel drive vehicles. This track goes on for 30 km. At the end of the track they walked through fields to the nacimiento of the Rio Ojo Frio. This spring is reported to have 'beautiful, crystal clear water tinged with blue & teaming with fish'. |
| Type Locality |
El Quince, the headwaters of the Rio Ojo Frio,
north of Damian Carmona, state of San Luis Potosi, Mexico. |
| Distribution |
Currently only known from the type locality. |
| Habitat |
Collected in areas of heavy plant growth. This
biotope is at a fairly high altitude. |
| Distinguishing Characteristics | A zig-zag line runs horizontally through the centre of the body. |
| Colour/Pattern Variability | Low. |
| History | |
| Breeding Notes |
As this sp.is found at higher altitude cooler water is advised around 21 - 22°C. Brood size has been reported at around 20 with a drop cycle of one month. Well fed fish have been left together in a colony breeding set up. |
| Remarks |
Commonly referred to as the El Quince Swordtail. |