Mexico Saves Glittering Splitfin Fish From Extinction

The shimmering butterfly splitfin fish, once declared extinct in its native Mexican rivers, is making a stunning comeback thanks to an unlikely alliance between Austrian zoos and local communities.

These tiny fish, just a few centimeters long with metallic scales that flash turquoise like butterfly wings, vanished from Mexico's waters in the 1990s. Aggressive tilapia had taken over nearly every creek and river in central Mexico, pushing out the native splitfins.

But fish lovers around the world had been breeding them in home aquariums for decades. When British aquarist Ivan Dibble heard the butterfly splitfin could no longer be found in Mexico, he launched a rescue mission in 1997, bringing the fish back home from living rooms across the planet.

Fast forward to today, and something remarkable is happening. Michael Köck, a curator who had been caring for 120 aquariums of Mexican fish in a Vienna zoo basement, moved to Mexico to restore their natural homes. In 2022, he helped create Plan G, a 10-year effort to save the entire Goodeid family.

The spotted skiffia, unseen in Guadalajara's Agua Azul Park since 1899, will return this August with a celebration. The golden skiffia, declared extinct in the wild, now thrives in specially designed breeding pools in the town of Amacueca, where locals have embraced the cause.

These fish aren't just pretty. They're algae-eating powerhouses that keep waterways clean, and they use sophisticated adaptations to give birth to live young instead of laying eggs.

The Ripple Effect

Communities across Jalisco, Michoacán and Guanajuato are creating new lagoons and restoring old springs specifically for these fish. Conservation manager Karina Águilar says her team is preparing to see the spotted skiffia "brimming" in newly created habitats, marking the return of biodiversity that disappeared over a century ago.

The plan targets all threatened Goodeid species, restoring at least one habitat for each within 10 years. What started with worried hobbyists has grown into coordinated conservation involving zoos, universities, parks and entire towns.

Plan G proves that extinction doesn't have to be forever when people around the world care enough to act.