Order Cyprinodontiformes
Superfamily Cyprinodontoidae
Family Cyprinodontidae
Subfamily Cyprinodontinae
Genus Garmanella — Garmanella. Gar.
— Garmanella pulchra [Hubbs, 1936] — Yucatan Flagfish. Code: PUL. Synonym: Jordanella pulchra. Mexico, Yucatan Peninsula, western Caribbean Sea, Honduras – clear coastal brackish habitats with standing water. 4-6 cm. The body is short with a high back, the caudal peduncle is broad, and the fin itself resembles an open fan. The male’s body ranges from olive-beige, orange to gray-brown with silver scales, dark dots, and transverse thin silver curved lines. The head and throat are red-orange or brown, with oblique dark stripes under the eye.
The dorsal and anal fins have an orange-red sheen, with rows of dark dots. The caudal fin has a dark margin. The female’s body is silver-gray with 6-8 dark transverse bands, with one or several black spots in the middle of the body. The dorsal fin and the base of the caudal fin have dark dots and spots. The remaining fins are almost colorless. Females are smaller than males and paler in coloration, colored silver-gray. There are seven dark transverse bands on the body, with one or several black spots in the center of the trunk. There are dark dots and spots on the dorsal fin and the base of the caudal fin. Fins are colorless. Juveniles are colored like the female, but the anal fin has an orange margin.
Fish stay in the lower water layer, males chase females. Species aquarium, keep a group of fish dominated by females, shelters and live plants and stones are mandatory. If there are fewer females, the males will beat them to death. When keeping J. pulchra, large additions of salt are required (4-6 g per 1 liter of water), and this, as is known, does not benefit plants. Therefore, use plants that tolerate high water salinity, such as Vallisneria, Java moss, and Thai fern. In freshwater, they gradually wither. Fed with live and vegetable foods.
Sexual maturity at 6 months. At the bottom, the male chooses a suitable place and digs a small depression, where the fish spawn. The male guards and cares for it. With good feeding, fry acquire adult coloration within 2 months. Water: 16-24°C, dH 19-25°, pH 7.0-8.0, salinity 3.5-6 g/l, oxygen-rich.
Genus Cualac — Cualac.
— Cualac tessellatus [Miller, 1956] — Checkered Pupfish. Central Mexico. Male 7 cm, females 5.5 cm. Non-annual. Males have mosaic strokes on the flanks, pelvic and anal fins are yellow-orange, the blue dorsal fin is dotted with dark spots. Females have slight dark pigmentation only in the dorsal fin.
Peaceful, can be kept in a group, and even a male ready for reproduction does not show strong territorial behavior. During spawning, males form temporary territories that they defend from rivals while trying to woo females. Best kept in a spacious, heavily planted species aquarium. It is good to place floating plants on the water surface, creating a natural twilight in the tank where fish feel better.
Occupy the lower layers of water. The most important aspect for them is providing very hard water, which also suits many Xiphophorus or Poecilia. Feed on live and frozen food, as well as flakes. Vegetable supplementation is mandatory. T 22-31°C, pH 7.5-9.0.
Genus Jordanella — Jordanella. Jord.
— Jordanella floridae [Goode & Bean, 1879] — American Flagfish. Code: FLO. USA, Mexico, Florida Peninsula – brackish swamps, lakes, and water bodies. Males up to 8 cm, females 6 cm. The body, unlike most cyprinodonts, is relatively high, dense, slightly compressed laterally. Mouth is high, lips thick. Teeth are sharp. The body pattern is formed by alternating rows of contrasting bright red and blue-green scales resembling the stripes of the American flag, which gave the fish its English common name – “American Flagfish”.
The male has olive-green flanks, the posterior part is brown, with rows of shiny blue to yellow-green spots. Dorsal and anal fins are yellowish to greenish with red-brown spots or stripes, caudal fin is red to bluish, often with a dark margin and red spots. There is a dark spot below the dorsal fin, especially noticeable in females.
During spawning, the male’s blue sheen intensifies, spreading even to the rear part of the dorsal and anal fins, and the pelvic fins become noticeably darker. The female is 1-2 cm smaller, gray-yellow-green with dark spots forming a checkerboard pattern. Females also have a dark spot with a white edge at the posterior end of the dorsal fin. A ready-to-spawn female has a paler pattern of dark spots, and her belly becomes rounded. The female differs from the male by paler coloration and size (males are 25-30% larger than females). By three months of age, juveniles begin to show signs of adult coloration and, accordingly, visible sex differences.
It is better to keep them in pairs or a group of fish with a predominance of females in a large species aquarium with fine-grained dark substrate, patchy plant thickets, and open swimming space. If you buy more than 2 fish, monitor pair formation and move extra females or males to a separate aquarium. Small but heavily planted aquariums also suit them. With a lack of plants, fish can become timid. Since fish nibble on soft plants, ensure a sufficient supply in the aquarium, or use tough-leaved plants. Excellently cleans the aquarium from filamentous algae.
Substrate of dark soft coarse sand or fine gravel. Males are pugnacious. During spawning, males claim a territory centered around a group of fine-leaved plant stems near the bottom. Highly active, quite aggressive, and in a community aquarium often incompatible with other species. They guard their territory and offspring, so they do not tolerate the presence of any other fish. Aggression increases in small aquariums.
Under bright cold-spectrum lighting, the coloration begins to shimmer in a special way: the fluorescent blue-green sheen becomes sharper, and the red stripes characteristic of males become brighter. Fish stay in the middle and lower water layers. Chemical composition does not matter, but the water can be slightly salted (2 teaspoons per 10 liters). High doses of dissolved organics have a depressing effect on fish. They react very lively to water changes, immediately starting spirited chases and spectacular tournaments.
Omnivorous, mainly eats plant matter, consumes live, vegetable, and dry food, and nibbles on delicate plant leaves. Sexual maturity occurs at 6 months. The male makes a depression in the substrate and guards the eggs from other fish. An overzealous male in the heat of performing his paternal duty is capable of killing even the female. Tolerates short-term temperature drops down to 10°C. Water temperature 19-24°C; dH 10-20°; pH 7.0-8.0.
Identification: Jordanella floridae.
Orestias ispi, Cubanichthys cubensis, Cubanichthys pengelleyi.
Pachypanchax omalonotus, playfairii, sakaramyi. 
