Alternative name Laimosemion tecminae.

Rivulus tecminae was described by Dr. Jamie (Jim) Thomerson, Leo Nico and Dr. Donald Taphorn in 1992. Leo Nico was the discoverer of the species accompanied by E. Guayamare who found this fish new to science on May 28 1989 500 meters from the left bank of the rio Guayapo, about 83 Km. upstream to the confluence with rio Sipapo which is a tributary to the rio Orinoco in the Amazonas Federal Territory in south- west Venzuela.

The name "tecminae" was choosen to honor the Mining Company "Temina Minera" for their assistence provided during the fieldwork of the describers.

Rivulus tecminae belongs to the superspecies group with Rivulus altivelis and R. rectocaudatus in it.

With the species in this group it shares long ventral fins and a spade- like shape of the caudal fin. J. Huber states however that his R. altivelis can be separated by its smaller fins in males and the spade- like caudal....but the specimen available to Huber were not adult as it seems and no other material was available for further research on that point. New sampling in the region, also on the Colombian side can bring more clearnes to this.

In 1993 an expedition to Maroa in the souther part of the Territories, undertaken by Taphorn and Thomerson brought a similar type of fish under our attention that need to be examined for getting it in its place. It is sure it is related to the R. tecminae. Another one was found near Puerto Ayacucho at "Selva de Tobogán" and this species is also related but new to science as well. DNA sequenses are taken and I am working on this species with others to get it described. (June 2011).

Keeping and breeding is easy but a good cover of the aquarium is necessary because there ability to jump, even true the smallest opening, is unbelievable.

This species can, if there is enough space for them, housed in a tank with only one male and one female. If separated before and brought together again however, they can be very agressive to each other and fight to become dominant to others. Strange enough the female is dominant in this case and these females are able to kill the male in a few hours if not enough space for hiding is present. The best way to have much offspring is to put a pair or in a small tank from 10 liters for only a few hours up to a day maximum. On the bottom some peat moss or dark gravel and several floating- mop's to give space for laying there eggs. The fish will, if they become a rich varity of life food, spawn direct after joining and produce instantly between 5 to 15 eggs.

After hatching the young fry can eat fresh artemia nauplii without any problem. It takes 4 to 5 months to raise them to maturity.

There lifespan can be up to 3 years in captivity but no records are of this yet.

Remarks :

The eggs should be collected by hand and stored for about 2 weeks in a small container with water and some added trypavlavine or acriflavine in it. In this period I use water only to collect enough eggs and after having a good number of them I store them in rather moist cocopeat. It was said by several people who had this species that eggs should be incubated for 3 to 4 months. I must say that I doubted this in the first place but I have eggs now incubated for over 2 months and they still are not full developed. The embrio's are visible but watering the eggs did not hatch them still. (24 November 2011)

Annualism is not common in Rivulus but is seems that species belonging to this group do show annual behaviour, at least need longer time to develop.

To the left side you see a map with detail of the Rio Guayapo that is connected in the north to the River Sipapo.

The terra typica of the Laimosemion tecminae is 82 kilometer upstream from where the Guayapo meets the Sipapo.

Max. size 6.5 cm.
Dorsal 9.0,
Anal 13.0,
D/A 9.0,
LL scale count (average)40.1
Pre- dorsal length to % SL – 73.0 %
Depth to % SL – 20.1 %