Ameca, or butterfly goodeid (Ameca splendens), is a small freshwater fish from Mexico. Males have a bright yellow caudal fin with a black border that resembles butterfly wings.
Ameca differs from related species by the bright yellow-black tail of males and viviparity. In nature, this species is endangered due to river pollution. It is useful for the ecosystem as it eats algae and serves as food for larger animals.
Legendary longevity: over 100 years. Galapagos tortoises, Greenland sharks, ocean quahogs celebrate with family once every 4 years
Immature form that undergoes metamorphosis before adulthood.
Offspring
pecking
Worker
Elders
Bro
birth time
lakes and ponds
Taxons
if born as {name}
Dogs, dolphins, lynx hang out for 9-25 years and party on their birthday three times a year
m
Map
will celebrate their {n} birthday
omnivore
g
age
t
When your next jubilee falls in {name} life years
Human
birth date
no permanent shelter
Close
detritus, eat dead remains of plants, animals and all kinds of organic debris on the bottom
Gonopodium color
was
days
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Career from 7 to 15 months. Dwarf hamsters, voles, field crickets celebrate their birthday twice a month
The basics
How old you would be if you lived as {name}
Neotropical realm
pecking and capturing small prey
Theoretical maximum lifespan estimated from the Dynamic Energy Budget (DEB) mathematical model. This value reflects a biological potential derived from metabolic parameters, not from direct observation — real recorded lifespans are often significantly shorter.
My weight?
Non-stop carnival: they only live a few days. Mayflies, rotifers, midges celebrate their birthday more than twice a day
adult
Maturity
organic debris
primary food sources
Neotropical realm
South and Central America, hot and humid, huge forests
Potential Habitat
About health
When your next birthday would fall if you lived as {name}
d
In husbandry
On the go from 1.3 to 3.5 years. Forest mice, anoles, rainbow fish party on their birthday once a month
Repro interval
results
Mass
Mosquitoes, fruit flies, small crustaceans hustle for up to 7 months and throw a birthday party every week
Body size
Colors
Caudal fin color
Sex
{name} birthday
Upcoming jubilees
Gremllins
mo
No results found
all seas and oceans
Trophic type
Filters
On the map
lunge
small crustaceans
Pleasant summer
all life stages
Female ♀
Body color
Upcoming birthdays
standing fresh waters — lakes, ponds, oxbow lakes
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
Potential habitat modelled from GBIF occurrence data. Map © Zveriki.com, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
Truly long lives: 40-100 years. Bowhead whales, albatrosses, giant tortoises recall their birthday at most once a year
Lifespan
birth year
Maturity
Age (juvenile)
insect larvae and caterpillars
Age (from birth to death)
sq mm
yr
comfortable summer, +20…+25 °C
Age (embryo)
Wanderers
Age (larva)
How similar?
algae
Jubilee = every 10th birthday
Male ♂
until the celebration
age as {name}
How do they breed?
On the go from 3.5 to 6 years. Hedgehogs, crows, lizards treat themselves to birthday snacks 6 times a year
What if eaten?
Neither
Earliest developmental stage inside an egg or womb.
Business sausages
from birth to adulthood
Caudal fin size
Lifespan average
What do they eat?
insect larvae
Where do they live?
young after fast growth
Immature individual that has not yet reached reproductive maturity.
Marine world
from birth to death
Juvenile stage following larval metamorphosis but not yet adult.
early young
What do they look like?
Maturity
emergence (insects)
end of lifespan
hot, there is a dry season, trees shed their leaves
Freshwater
How do they live?
fertilization / egg laying
How do they behave?
birth / hatching
metamorphosis / end of larval stage
end of acceleration
Share
Duration
Find a pet...
Mature, fully developed individual capable of reproduction.
Freshwater
This is me
stream
freshwater
Actively hunting and capturing live prey.
Gamers
aquatic plants and algae
Pets
How are they built?
all rivers and lakes
mm
Theoretical lifespan
Repeatedly strikes or probes substrate with beak to obtain food.
ml
Stars
Link copied
My age?
wk
My size?
Tropical dry broadleaf forest
{name} jubilee
Dorsal fin color
Asexual
swap
freshwater environment — rivers, lakes, ponds, swamps
cm
Old-timers
Find an animal or breed...
active predation
turns
Rabbits, falcons, red-eared turtles hang out for 6-9 years and party on their birthday four times a year
Rascals
Where do they take shelter?
Warm summer and lots of rain
celebrated their {n} birthday
When you would have been born if you lived as {name}
Litter size
Daddies
small crabs, amphipods and other crustaceans
Lifespan maximum
Map data sources: Ecosystem classification — IUCN Global Ecosystem Typology (Keith et al., 2022), indicative distribution maps Keith et al. (2020), https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3546513; Large Marine Ecosystems — NOAA LME Program; Bathymetry — GEBCO Bathymetric Compilation Group (2026), GEBCO_2026 Grid, https://doi.org/10.5285/4f68d5c7-45eb-f999-e063-7086abc036fa; Climate data — Generated using Copernicus Climate Change Service information; Species occurrence data — GBIF.org, Derived dataset "all animals", https://zveriki.com/dataset/dataset.tsv; Terrestrial ecoregions — RESOLVE Ecoregions 2017 (Dinerstein et al., 2017), CC BY 4.0
How to care for them?
Living from 25 to 40 years. Orangutans, bald eagles, African elephants celebrate their birthday twice a year
river
°C
Not specified
Hermaphrodite ⚥
Grape
Where are they found?
8 to 11 grams, 1.5 – 8 centimeters
Species lacks any fixed or lasting shelter structure.
embryo
Dorsal fin size
all rivers and lakes
Length
kg
lots of rain, warm and pleasant summer
Rapid forward strike to seize prey.
Observations
◉{N} more on tap