Cyprinodontiformes vivíparos e ovovivíparos

Livebearer Cyprinodontiformes

Artigos - Goodeiídeos; Algumas Espécies de Vivíparos Promissoras para Lagos de Jardim

Articles - Goodeids, Some Promising Garden Fishpond Viviparous Fish

Goodeids, Some Promising Garden Fishpond Viviparous Fish

Miguel Andrade - published at this website in May 2009

The climate

Portugal can be regarded as maybe one of the warmest European countries.

The meteorological observations that took place between 1961 and 1990 have shown that the annual temperature averages in mainland Portugal oscillates between 7ºC ( 44.6ºF ) in Northern and central highlands and 18ºC ( 64.4ºF ) at Southern lowlands.

The rain fall in the main land ranges from barely more the 3000 mm in Minho Province, to 400 mm in the Algarve Province coast, with several deep valleys in the Douro river drainage showing somehow local lower rainfall than those mentioned Southern coast regions.

More often than not the prevailing precipitation occurs from October to March.

According to Köppen climate classification, the typical weather in main land as well as on the Atlantic islands can be divided in to two distinguishing mesothermal climate regions ( warm temperate ) and on the following subtypes; Csa – temperate climate with rainy winter and dry hot summer and Csb – temperate with rainy winter and dry moderate summer.
In winter the Northern part of the country as well as some of the Azores Islands experience from the contact with the polar front region, and thus have moderate temperatures and changeable, rainy weather.
With the possible exception in the immediate coastal areas and some islands, where summers are milder due to the presence of relatively temperate ocean currents, summers are rather hot and dry, due to the domination of a subtropical high pressure system, in Azores Sea.
 

Figure 2 – Annual average temperature.

Instituto de Meteorologia – http://www.meteo.pt/

Figure 3 – Annual accumulated precipitation.

Instituto de Meteorologia – http://www.meteo.pt/

The islands of the Azores and Madeira archipelagos are located in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.
These Atlantic Macaronesian archipelagos have a narrower temperature range than the main land, and can be considered as warm temperate climate regions.
In Madeira archipelago the climate is gentle.
The annual mean temperature oscillates between 9ºC ( 48.2ºF ) above 1500 m and 17.5ºC ( 63.5ºF ) or more on the southern coast line.
The archipelago is located in a subtropical climate region, and the main island ( Madeira ) is characterized by somewhat frequent rainfalls almost all year round.
The Selvagens Islands and Porto Santo can, in contrast, present rather low precipitation levels.
The mean rain fall at this archipelago ranges from 1479 mm in some parts of Madeira Island to less than 200 mm at Selvagens islands.
In Funchal, daily temperatures typically varying from a daily minimum of 14ºC ( 57.2ºF ) and a daily maximum of 20ºC ( 68ºF ) in January ( winter ) and from a daily minimum of 18ºC ( 64,4ºF ) and a daily maximum of 25ºC ( 77ºF ) in July ( summer ).
In the Azores archipelago, the annual mean temperature oscillates between 16.8ºC ( 62.2ºF ) at Angra do Heroismo and 17.7ºC ( 63,8ºF ) in Santa Cruz das Flores, typically varying in Angra do Heroísmo, from a daily minimum of 11ºC ( 51.8ºF ) and a daily maximum of 16ºC ( 60.8ºF ) in January ( winter ) and from a daily minimum of 18ºC ( 64.4ºF ) and a daily maximum of 24ºC ( 75.2ºF ) in August ( summer ), with an annual amplitude of around 14ºC ( 57.2ºF ).
The rainfall ranges from 6530 mm on the Pico Mountain to 748 mm in Santa Maria Island.

Figure 4 a) – Air temperatures in ºC.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

Figure 4 b) – Air temperatures in ºF.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Lisbon.

Figure 5 a) – Air temperatures in ºC.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

Figure 5 b) – Air temperatures in ºF.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Porto Santo, Madeira archipelago.

Figure 6 a) – Air temperatures in ºC.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

Figure 6 a) – Air temperatures in ºF.

Legend :

The red line represents extreme maximum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The orange line represents average maximum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The green line represents average minimum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

The red line represents extreme minimum temperature values registered in Angra do Heroísmo, Azores archipelago.

Can Goodeids be regarded as fishpond species in Portugal ?

The reply is yes and not always.
It depends much on the location and, in particular, with reference to which species we are talking about.
To spare the words let’s use some graphics.
 

Figure 7 a) – Average maximum and minimum temperatures ( ºC ) in Lisbon and San Luis Potosí
 

Figure 7 b) – Average Maximum and minimum temperatures (ºF ) in Lisbon and San Luis Potosí
 

Taking in to consideration the contrast between Lisbon and one of the Mexican plateau cities, the most unwarned ones can simply conclude that fish species from both locations are equally compatible in terms of water temperature.
The intense night drops of the high amplitudes representative from the altitude conventional climate of San Luis Potosí, can in fact be much cooler than the Atlantic apparently more temperate Portugal’s capital winter lowly.
In fact it is imprudent to be simply persuaded by the narrower temperature range of Lisbon.
What we can see on this graphic does not show clearly another important factor… the maximum daily temperatures on the Mexican plateau even during winter. Such difference will have as result that water bodies can recover, not long after sun rise, some heat lost during the coldest nights. On the other hand, some periods of warm days can compensate the seasonal freezing.
Nevertheless, if Mexican fish from the plateau can in fact be naturally tolerant to some severe droppings or provide evidence about some cold tolerance, they can’t withstand potential lethal temperatures for long… or at least without daily compensations, as on considerable thermal amplitude daily variations like back home.
In Portugal, the major problem to Goodeids outdoors survival during winter is precisely the fact that they can’t have those daily temperate compensations for the rigorous cold. The implacable unpleasantly cold limits can remain for days or weeks, without any break and besides the general weakness and stress that is inflicted by the low temperatures to fish near the survival limits, there are no warmer rest periods for recover meanwhile.

 

Figure 8 a) – Mean monthly temperatures comparison ( ºC ).

Figure 8 b) – Mean monthly temperatures comparison ( ºF ).
 

On this graphic the preview idea is much more comprehensible and obvious.
Besides altitude discrepancy on which Lisbon is more positive to warm loving fish, latitude pays also a big role on the process, and San Luis de Potosí is no doubt much closer regarding the equator.
When mean temperatures are observed, we can see the differences pointed before.
Lower temperatures registered in the Mexican plateau are rewarded by higher ones and, in the end, if we compare the daily and monthly evolution based upon the mean values Lisbon is in fact cooler.
Something near this happens with water thermal year evolution in both sides of the Atlantic.
Such conclusion is easy to test on the long term outdoors experiments with a few Goodeids species.
On the next figure based on this graphic, the natural adjustment of some species as well as the inadaptability of others to our local climate becomes more obvious.
 

Figure 9 a) – Prediction of ecological adjustment to our climate ( ºC ).

Figure 9 b) – Prediction of ecological adjustment to our climate ( ºF ).

By analyzing figure 8, is manifest that the Atlantic Macaronesian archipelagos of Azores and Madeira have warmer winters than the main land territory.
Do doubt more important than that is the fact that these islands climate is reasonably suitable and comfortable for almost Goodeid species dwell in outdoors ponds all year round.
The annual temperature evolution is not perfectly coordinated with the natural geographic distribution, but it is quite evident that probably most of the fish could afford all the benefits from living in garden fishponds permanently on these islands.
The main point here is to compare the experience on Portugal’s main land more adverse climate with the wild in Mexico, as shown on this graphic.
The similitude with the reality is in fact absolutely impressive.
For Lisbon it happens to become clear that there is a critical period between late November to late February ( red area ), where most of the species are under a significant danger of cold narcosis.
This means that a number of Goodeids could never stand alive or endure over that period, notably if let in outdoors fish ponds, but, above all, in small ponds without the proper water capacity or depth.
In some cases like Ameca splendens, the fish can survive over most winters but are exterminated on the coldest episodes. It depends much on the duration of each chilly incident that normally occurs roughly from Christmas to late January.
There are however two tested species that have proved, until now and for the past years, to be cold tolerant as much as necessary to withstand outdoors in some parts of the country, even on the worst conditions – Xenotoca eiseni and Skiffia multipunctata.
Many others can also be discovered to own the same cold tolerance.
If there was a chance for me to test some other species may be I could document more cases like those pointed before. Other probable promising candidates are Allotoca goslinei, Girardinichthys viviparous, Xenoophorus captivus ( Illescas ) and Xenotoca melanosoma.
It is however advisable to provide a winter rest period in temperature controlled facilities for almost all Goodeids. Nevertheless temperatures below 12ºC ( 53.6ºF ) for long periods can cause mortality or become a source of painful stress for numerous species.
The yellow areas from late February to the end of April as well as from the middle of October to late November represent periods on which a great number of species can be placed outdoors, but some need cautious and attentive control, in order to prevent stress or even fatalities with sudden temperature droppings that may happen.
Species that need some attention on this stage are Allodontichthys hubbsi, Allotoca dugesii, Characodon audax, Characodon lateralis, Ilyodon furcidens, Ilyodon whitei, Xenoophorus captivus and, expressly, Ataeniobius toweri.
Goodeids in general, but warm demanding species in particular, can be raised without great concern in Madeira archipelago.
Anyway, in main land, from the beginning of May to somewhere in October is usually safe to place your fish outdoors with no restrictions in almost all regions of the country.
The only possible exceptions are those higher temperature sensitive species ( light yellow area on the graphic ).
Fishponds exposed to full sunlight can become unreasonably warm in particular from middle May to late September for species like Allodontichthys polylepis, Allodontichthys tamazulae, Allodontichthys zonistius, Allophorus robustus, Allotoca dugesii, Chapalichthys encaustus, Chapalichthys paradalis, Goodea atripinnis, Skiffia bilineata, Zoogoneticus tequila but, first and foremost Allotoca diazi, Allotoca goslinei, Allotoca maculate, Girardinichthys multiradiatus, Girardinichthys viviparous, Hubbsina turneri and Zoogoneticus quitzeoensis.
Such species can be however raised without great concern in Azores archipelago during all year, including summer.
In Lisbon, on the other hand, the location of the fish pond is vital for these ones.
During summer it’s advisable to place these last species only in full shadowed ponds with a chief orientation towards East/West as well as protected by a high building or by an elevation on the terrain on the south face. Even with such setup be very careful during hotter periods.
A permanent cool stream feeding, can improve very much the conditions to maintain the water temperature high records from 22ºC ( 71.6ºF ) to 24ºC ( 75.2ºF ), the maximum values required from these species to stay hale and hearty.
Another option is to keep these cool water species outdoors in more temperate regions of the main land territory for spring and summer.
 

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