XNP project annual report – Year 7

The “Xiphophorus – Northern Platyfish” project has completed seven years of operation. They say that the seventh year is a critical milestone. We passed it without any problems. Nothing happened that would expose the project members to severe tests. Now it is more necessary to arm ourselves with patience and continue with responsible work even without new exciting impulses; after all, this is about long-term stable fish keeping. The core of our project is very healthy and cohesive. The idea of the ÖVVÖ Conservation Projects works.

Fish

Here are the numbers of fishes kept and how they evolve since the start of our project (as of the beginning of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, respectively):

Xiphophorus meyeri Spotted:            434 - 645 - 1145 - 1436 - 1072 - 1041 - 1196

Xiphophorus meyeri Wild Type:        93 - 180 - 109 - 37 - 210 - 303 - 228

Xiphophorus couchianus:                  114 - 180 - 438 - 664 - 765 - 850 - 836

Xiphophorus gordoni:                        29 - 63 - 56 - 18 - 27 - 70 - 14

Xiphophorus sp. "Apodaca":             12 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0 - 0

Xiphophorus sp. "Regio":                  19 - 110 - 83 - 86 - 49 - 106 - 117

Total number of fish:                          701 - 1178 - 1831 - 2241 - 2123 - 2370 - 2391

X. gordoni is worrying (but this has been the case practically since the beginning of our project). We obtained new individuals last year, but it turned out that in most cases these were hybrids or fish of very questionable origin and identity. Hopefully we will be able to obtain trustworthy pure fish and significantly reproduce this endangered species in Europe, it would be an important contribution of our project.

On the contrary, the best situation with a slightly optimistic outlook is for X . sp. "Regio". These fish have been handed over to new breeders; achieving breeding in them is not easy and splitting the productive groups and trying to find another key (i.e. successful) breeder is now a logical step. Since this fish is easy to confuse with some populations of X. variatus, X. evelynae or hybrids of uncertain origin, it is necessary to work exclusively with individuals kept within our project.

We have once again achieved the largest number of individuals overall. But what is most important is that we have managed to increase and stabilize the populations of the extinct in the wild species X. meyeri and X. couchianus in seven years.

People

During 2024, we have again adjusted the membership base to include people who want and can communicate. If someone does not keep northern platyfish and cannot make any progress in this regard or has no other active interest in our project, it is pointless for them to remain a member. This does not apply, of course, to those breeders who need our help with arranging a starting group of fish and we have not yet been able to find a way to physically meet and hand over the fish.

The number of project members decreased after this purge. Here is the development of this indicator (at the beginning of 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025): 18 - 23 - 28 - 42 - 51 - 52 - 47

Our goal is not to increase the number of breeders at any cost, we care about fish and good cooperation.

Our members are still from 10 countries: Belgium, Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Austria, United Kingdom.

Information

A joint meeting of the Xiphophorus Working Group (XWG) and the Goodeid Working Group (GWG) was held in Mosyonmagyaróvár, Hungary, in October 2024. None of the lectures focused exclusively on northern platyfish, but our project members Erwin Radax and Dávid Urbányi naturally mentioned this group in their more general lectures on xipho keeping.

The XNP project was also presented in Guadalajara, Mexico, at the 2nd International Conference on Conservation of Freshwater Species of Mexico. Mexico, as the home of our focal species, is of course important to our efforts to save northern platyfish for the future, and the conference offered an opportunity to network with local universities and other institutions and enthusiasts. The response to the efforts of European aquarists was very positive.

Project

In 2024, we were intensively preparing for a significant milestone: sending X. couchianus and X. meyeri to Mexico, specifically to the public aquarium Acuario Inbursa in Mexico City. The platyfish from our project sent through Ostrava Zoo are to inhabit an exhibition dedicated to Mexican extinct fish there and at the same time they should establish aquarium breeding in the original country of occurrence of both these species. Due to administrative difficulties on the Mexican side, the transfer has not yet been implemented, but the fish are already ready for shipment.

There was no change in the financial status in 2024, i.e. all costs were paid by the relevant members individually and the project balance is zero.

Future plans

In 2025, we will continue to work on activities directly in Mexico, especially on the aforementioned transport of fish to Acuario Inbursa. Even after a year, our priority is to improve the situation of the species X. gordoni. We look forward to seeing everyone at the annual meeting of the GWG and XWG in Gentbrugge, Belgium, on October 3-5, 2025.

Finally, as I do every year, I would like to thank all members of the XNP project again. You save rare species from extinction!

Markéta Rejlková

June 19, 2025, Ostrava, Czech Republic