Xiphophorus monticolus, Southern mountain swordtail

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Xiphophorus monticolus Kallman, Walter, Morizot & Kazianis, 2004

Southern mountain swordtail
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drawing shows typical species in Poeciliidae.

Classification / Names Common names | Synonyms | Catalog of Fishes(genus, species) | ITIS | CoL | WoRMS | Cloffa

Teleostei (teleosts) > Cyprinodontiformes (Rivulines, killifishes and live bearers) > Poeciliidae (Poeciliids) > Poeciliinae
Etymology: Xiphophorus: Greek, xiphos = sword + Greek, pherein = to carry (Ref. 45335); monticolus: Name derived from Latin for a dweller in the mountains, referring to the species' restricted range to headwater streams inside the Sierra Madre.

Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range Ecology

Freshwater; pelagic; depth range 2 - 3 m (Ref. 52914). Tropical

Distribution Countries | FAO areas | Ecosystems | Occurrences | Point map | Introductions | Faunafri

North America: Mexico.

Size / Weight / Age

Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm
Max length : 5.0 cm SL male/unsexed; (Ref. 52914); 6.4 cm SL (female)

Short description Identification keys | Morphology | Morphometrics

A species characterized by a longer caudal appendage, sword index 0.25; fainter orange stripes that fade in older individuals and pronounced melanophore pigmentation at the edges of the dorsal and ventral sword margins (in males) (Ref. 52914).
Body shape (shape guide): fusiform / normal.

Biology     Glossary (e.g. epibenthic)

This species occurs sympatrically with X. mixei and apparently prefers deeper pools; in rapidly flowing river with boulders and riffles (Ref. 52914).

Life cycle and mating behavior Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae

Main reference Upload your references | References | Coordinator | Collaborators

Kallman, K.D., R.B. Walter, D.C. Morizot and S. Kazianis, 2004. Two new species of Xiphophorus (Poeciliidae) from the Isthmus of Tehuantepec, Oaxaca, Mexico, with a discussion of the distribution of the X. clemenciae clade. Am. Mus. Novit. 3441:1-34. (Ref. 52914)

IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)

Not Evaluated 

CITES

Not Evaluated

CMS (Ref. 116361)

Not Evaluated

Threat to humans

  Harmless





Human uses

Fisheries: of no interest
FAO - Publication: search | FishSource |

More information

Trophic ecology
Food items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
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Predators
Ecology
Ecology
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Population dynamics
Growth parameters
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
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Maturity/Gills rel.
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References

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Summary page | Point data | Common names | Photos

Internet sources

AFORO (otoliths) | Aquatic Commons | BHL | Cloffa | Websites from users | Check FishWatcher | CISTI | Catalog of Fishes: genus, species | DiscoverLife | ECOTOX | FAO - Publication: search | Faunafri | Fishipedia | Fishtrace | GloBI | Google Books | Google Scholar | Google | IGFA World Record | OneZoom | Open Tree of Life | Otolith Atlas of Taiwan Fishes | PubMed | Reef Life Survey | Socotra Atlas | TreeBase | Tree of Life | Wikipedia: Go, Search | World Records Freshwater Fishing | Zoobank | Zoological Record

Estimates based on models

Phylogenetic diversity index (Ref. 82804):  PD50 = 0.5000   [Uniqueness, from 0.5 = low to 2.0 = high].
Bayesian length-weight: a=0.01023 (0.00454 - 0.02306), b=3.14 (2.95 - 3.33), in cm total length, based on LWR estimates for this (Sub)family-body shape (Ref. 93245).
Trophic level (Ref. 69278):  3.1   ±0.4 se; based on size and trophs of closest relatives
Resilience (Ref. 120179):  Medium, minimum population doubling time 1.4 - 4.4 years (Preliminary K or Fecundity.).
Fishing Vulnerability (Ref. 59153):  Low vulnerability (10 of 100). 🛈