Chapultepec Splitfin
Girardinichthys viviparus (Bustamante, 1837)
Accepted species in Catalogue of Life’s 11 September 2026 base release. This preserves the source classification and available supporting data; it is not a completed species monograph.
Open encyclopedia reference
The Chapultepec splitfin (Girardinichthys viviparus), known locally as mexcalpique, is a critically endangered species of fish in the family Goodeidae. It is endemic to Mexico and was originally restricted to lakes and wetlands in the Valley of Mexico, including Lake Texcoco. Through man-made channels it was able to spread to the upper Pánuco River basin (notably Tula River and associated reservoirs). Most native populations disappeared as they were at or near Mexico City, with the waters either being reclaimed, drained, heavily polluted or infested with introduced species. Today the Chapultepec splitfin is only known to survive in three lakes (Viejo, Menor and Mayor) in the Chapultepec park of Mexico City, Lake Xochimilco, Lake Zumpango, Laguna de Tecocomulco northeast of the City where perhaps introduced, and parts of the Pánuco River basin. Most of these remaining populations are small. This species was originally described as Cyprinus viviparus in 1837 by Miguel Bustamante y Septién with the type locality given as "Mexico".
Wikipedia contributors, Chapultepec splitfin; see linked history · CC BY-SA 4.0 . Plain-text lead excerpt, at most 180 words; no infobox or later sections Retrieved 2026-10-05T07:46:42.984176+00:00. This reference remains separate from the taxonomic record.
Identity & source status
- Scientific name
- Girardinichthys viviparus (Bustamante, 1837)
- Name authority
- (Bustamante, 1837)
- Common name
- Chapultepec Splitfin
- Rank
- species
- Accepted status
- accepted
- Kingdom
- Animalia
- Phylum
- Chordata
- Class
- Teleostei
- Order
- Cyprinodontiformes
- Family
- Goodeidae
- Genus
- Girardinichthys
- Extinction status
- Not supplied by this source
Source habitat flags: Marine: no · Freshwater: yes · Terrestrial: no. These do not form a complete habitat description.
Classification family tree
Nested taxonomic groups from the source. This is not a direct-ancestor chain, a dated evolutionary tree or a phylogenetic reconstruction.
- domainEukaryota (Chatton, 1925) Whittaker & Margulis, 1978
- kingdomAnimalia
- phylumChordata
- subphylumVertebrata
- infraphylumGnathostomata
- parvphylumOsteichthyes
- gigaclassActinopterygii
- superclassActinopteri
- classTeleostei
- orderCyprinodontiformes
- familyGoodeidae Jordan & Gilbert, 1883
- subfamilyGoodeinae Jordan & Gilbert, 1883
- genusGirardinichthys Bleeker, 1860
- speciesGirardinichthys viviparus (Bustamante, 1837)
Close classified relatives
These entries share the source’s genus, Girardinichthys. They are not necessarily the closest relatives established by molecular evidence.
| Species | Classification | Source status |
|---|---|---|
| Girardinichthys ireneae Radda & Meyer, 2003 | GoodeidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
| Darkedged SplitfinGirardinichthys multiradiatus (Meek, 1904) | GoodeidaeChordata | Accepted speciesExtinction status not supplied |
Names & synonyms
Names explicitly linked to this accepted taxon in the source. Synonymy can change with revision.
| Recorded name | Source status |
|---|---|
| Cyprinus viviparus Bustamante, 1837 Bustamante, 1837 | synonym |
Source literature & publication evidence
References attached to this source record, including nomenclatural citations where supplied. This is a selected bibliography; abbreviated citations remain in the source’s form.
- https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=1022563 Source fields: Taxon.tsv dwc:namePublishedIn, Taxon.tsv dcterms:references
Origins, evidence & remaining research
Name authority and publication references document nomenclature where the source supplies it. They do not establish evolutionary origins or the earliest fossil occurrence.
Specimen-level evidence, morphology, ecological research, phylogenetic studies, a comprehensive bibliography and a located literary passage have not yet been compiled for this record. A suitable sourced image remains to be added.
Dataset citation & attribution
This exact taxon in ChecklistBank · Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11
Catalogue of Life 2026-09-11; dataset 316321; doi:10.48580/dgz5n. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ . Retrieved 5 October 2026.
Stable key: col:3G3NQ. Classification follows source parent identifiers. English common names may vary by region.