Today in the Fishroom ~ Nututun

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Aquamojo

Aquamojo

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Dec 28, 2003
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One of the first areas we visited was Nututun.


It's set up as a park where people come to swim. When we got there on Sunday, it was crowded with people. This churned up the water. You could still see the fish: Bifasciatum, Intermedium, Lentiginosus, Nourisati and a bunch of Tetra's.

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We followed the fish around taking underwater photos. The next day we went the people were gone, the water clear, and you can easily see the natural topography of the bottom. Deepest point was about 10 meters.

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The biggest problem that they have was the Pleco. Apparently in an effort to keep algae out, they introduced pleco. It's infested with thousands of pleco now. Like a huge black carpet that moves. This is a shot with the drone over the one bank. On the left is the reflection of the clouds. On the right, you can see the Pleco (between 9" - 12" in length) along the bottom. The good news is that it appears they are eating themselves to death. We noticed a lot more of the smaller fish...so not enough food to sustain. The bad news is that they are downstream as well as up...apparently having navigated the falls up and down.

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Nice shots mo, but reading the post is yet another reminder how man can mess things up that nature will normally take care of itself.
 
Very cool pics, thanks for posting them.
Has there ver been an introduced species that's gone well or according to plan?
I curse our Aussie quarantine laws when I see the pics you guys post of your fish but things like this remind me there is a good reason for them.
 
RD. said:
I love your use of the drone, great stuff Mo!
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Thanks. Really enjoyed using it there. The Mavic is hands down the best for the job. Handled like a sports car. Very easy to transport.

Ogertron3000 said:
Very cool pics, thanks for posting them.
Has there ver been an introduced species that's gone well or according to plan?
I curse our Aussie quarantine laws when I see the pics you guys post of your fish but things like this remind me there is a good reason for them.
Click to expand...

Maybe. But I can't think of one relating to fish.
 
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Pleco are a major problem in S. FL as well - apparently they have sticky eggs and are spread by birds or fishermen that don't clean their gear. My parents live about 2 hours north of Miami and they had an incredible series of golf course ponds full of bass, bluegill and some tilapia. I cam back next year and it was like a desert. All the vegetation and native fish were gone - just a few tilapia and a two foot (looked to be snowking) pleco every 3 feet or so - never saw one under 18 inches. They were undercutting the banks as well - would collapse on you as you walked around the bank. It stayed like this for three years and then just reverted back to normal and no more plecos? So either there was a very cold snap or the alligators learned they made an easy meal. They are a bad deal - I hope those folks can find a way to get rid of them.
 
I was in the Peruvian Amazon and people eat pleco which are sold in jungle fish market regularly. Apparently, catfish are good tasting and I’ve eaten Tigrinis shovel nose catfish a few times in restaurants there. 2 ft pleco are ideal edible size and we should promote pleco feasting. In the Amazon, pleco are caught with spear by natives, and I guess traps will work.
 
I bet there was a couple thousand.
 
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