Abstract
The Alchichica silverside, Poblana alchichica, is at risk of extinction since its range is restricted (microendemic) to Lake Alchichica. Fish mean density in the basin is 0.0021 ± 0.0015 org/m2, and organisms are distributed in two zones of the lake, the pelagic and the littoral zone, but most (>95%) of the fish inhabit the perimeter of the lake close to the tufa ring. Few individuals (<5%) were recorded in the pelagic zone at depths from the surface to 55 m deep, but often not deeper than 40 m. This pattern seems to relate with the illumination conditions that allow efficient foraging on species characteristic of the benthic habitat that predominates over planktonic prey. The Alchichica silverside is an iteroparous fish, and a spawning peak occurs in early spring. Eight helminth species parasite this silverside, including two trematodes, two cestodes, three nematodes, and one hirudinean. Anthropic pressures on Lake Alchichica’s health, the enduring habitat loss, and its consequences on its unique biodiversity are highlighted.
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Acknowledgements
This work had financial support from Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, CONACYT (0956-N9111, 25430-T, 34893-T, 41667, 49923, 103332, 224893, 52387, 79893, 131689), Dirección General de Asuntos del Personal Académico, PAPIIT (IN204597, IN210806-3, IN221009, IN215512, IN208502, IN207206, IN225517, IN219220) and FES Iztacala Programa de Apoyo a los Profesores de Carrera, PAPCA (2002-03, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2009-10, 2013-14, 2014-15).
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Chiappa-Carrara, X., Arce, E., Pérez-Ponce de León, G., Alcocer, J. (2022). Alchichica Silverside. In: Alcocer, J. (eds) Lake Alchichica Limnology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-79096-7_15
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