Thorichthys meeki in the wild

Nakajuka lagoon, one of the many lagoons around the lower course of the Grijalva/Usumacinta river system in Tabasco, México. Photo by Juan Miguel Artigas Azas. Inset: A male Thorichthys meeki inhabiting those lagoons. Photo by Ad Konings.

Introduction

What is this beautiful fish?, I wondered many years ago looking at the cover page of Axelrod°s and Vorderwinkler "Encyclopedia of Tropical Fishes" (Axelrod & Vorderwinkler, 1974). The cover shows a superb photograph by Hans Joachin Ritcher of a proud male Thorichthys meeki with his gill covers and membranes complete expanded forward, in a menacing pose. The male guards his fry in a nicely aquascaped aquarium. When I learned more about this gorgeous fish, I was astounded to find out that this fish, Thorichthys meeki, could be found in my country, México. So at that time I decided I will surely go collecting it some day.