Venezuela

[ttwilki@ibm.net]

The collection trip to Venezuela was successful.  Not only did we
collect Apistogramma but also collected fish where they had not been
described as being before.  One of the Apistos we collected I cannot
identify from the descriptions in my library.  I wanted to report the
results of each collection site to give an idea of location of
collection, the water conditions, and the fish found.  Although we
collected from sites ranging from the Gran Sabana to the northern Delta
Amacuro I will mention only those sites where we found dwarf cichlids.

Near Piacoa (southern Orinoco Delta)
Water: clear blackwater in small stream less than 6-12 inches deep. 
	pH 5.4   Hardness 20 ppm   Temp 29 C
Apistos found among the leaf litter in very shallow water.
A. hoignei
A. "piacoa"  - Similar to A. meinkeni but with significant differences.
Also in same location leaf fish, knife fish, Rivulus deltaphilus,
Haplosternum cat, and pencil fish.

Along road to Piacoa   N. 8 degrees 31.915    W. 62 deg 11.120
Larger blackwater stream draining from a large marsh.  We had collected
this area 2 years ago but the water was higher this year.
Water:	pH 6.7   Hardness 110 ppm   Temp  30C  (Last trip  pH 6.4 
Hardness  90 ppm)
A. hoignei
"Rams" - My information only describes Rams being found north of the
Orinoco.  Also previous descriptions          describe the collection
sites as being in savanah areas.  This site not only is south of the
Orinoco          but also in a forested area.
Leaf fish
Pristella type characin
"Moray" eel
Riv. deltaphilus
Aquedins sp.



Morichal along road to Piacoa  N. 8 deg 32.073   W.  62 deg
16.479                                          This was the only
morichal (blackwater stream with white sand bottom) we found south of
the Orinoco.  Heavily forested larger stream.
Water:  pH 7.3   Hardness 10 ppm   Temp 27 C
A. hoignei
Farawella
Corys- We collected over a hundred on one swipe of a small seine.  They
could be seen swimming all over the        bottom.
Leaf fish
Riv. deltaphilus
"guppies" - Similar to Endler's livebearer



Along road to Los Barrancos   N. 8 deg 40.049    W. 62 deg 27.281
This is along a road north of the Orinoco.  It is in savanah land and
the site was a pond isolated from any stream or other water supply. 
Appeared to be a cattle watering site.  Cloudy water.
Water:  pH 9.5     Hardness  50 ppm     Temp 35 C !!
A. hoignei
Nannacara - looks like anomala -  This fish if it is anomala has never
been described as being in this part of             Venezuela.  Mike
Wise advises me of a Nannacara sp. Venezuela.
Leaf fish
Aquedins sp.
Pristella type - pink with red fins




Along road between Barrancos and Tucupita   N. 8 deg 47.853    W. 62
deg. 12.320
Again in savanah before entering the Delta proper.  This was a shallow
man made watering hole with cloudy water.  Unlike the descriptions in
the German dwarf cichlid books, there were no palm trees near the
watering holes.
Water:  pH 5.8   Hardness 30 ppm  Temp  33 C
Rams - No other fish found.  Very colorful and could be seen swimming in
schools.  Interestingly, these were        the only fish collected that
had hollow bellies.  Could this be related to its isolation from
black        water?



Rio Morichal Largo  N. 8 deg. 29.754     W. 63 deg. 39.192
This is an area we had collected previously.  Last visit this was a
pristine blackwater stream with lots of fish life.  This year there has
been alot of development with new farms and cashew orchards.  There was
the definite smell of livestock in the water and much fewer fish.  More
sediment and garbage.
Water:  pH 5.4     Hardness 20 ppm    Temp. forgot thermometer but last
trip was 28 C. (Last trip pH 4.4  and         hardness 10 ppm)
A. guttata - much fewer and less colorful compared to last visit.
Nannacarra sp.
Severum
Endler's livebearer
Knife fish
Aquedins sp.
Pristella type
Copella
Riv. deltaphilus




At the confluence of the Rio Tigre and Rio Areo  near Coloradito   N. 8
deg.44.689   W. 63 deg. 31.751
These are two morichals in a heavily forested greenbelt among miles of
pine and eucalyptus plantations.  The Rio Areo had much more sediment
and smelly water and was where most of the fish were collected because
of the shallower water.  Rio Tigre had less sediment.  Lots of bugs in
this area.
Water:  pH  6.1    Hardness  10 ppm    Temp. sorry this was the day I
forgot the thermometer.
No Apistos
Nannacara sp. - I believe this is the furthest north and west that this
genus has been collected.
Knife fish
Copella
Riv. deltaphilus
Pike




Because of the length of this report, I will describe the A. "piacoa"
later.

Tom W.



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