Collecting Panama, finally Geophagus

[newworld]

Now u just need a male….

 

[Jarneyg]

That is such a cool find. Catching a Geophagus crassilabrus after 10 years of waiting is a major win. Glad to see the tank is finally clear of that Lernaea mess too. Those little Chaetostoma look healthy. Good luck with the new setup.

 

[duanes]

Settling in.

 

[tlindsey]

Settling in.
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Settling in.
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Beautiful geophagus specie look very similar to geophagus pellegrini.

 

[duanes]

I agree, they are so similar, and geographic ranges are so close, the DNA sharing is probalby almost indistinguishable, yet the water paramaters they have evolved to live in are quite opposite.
kind of reminds me of how similar Andinoacara pulcher from Colombia (pH 7 (natural form), and A coeruleopunctatus (pH above 8) from Panama , are difficult to tell apart,
the only difference being the Panamanians cichlids evolved abilty to tolerate higher pH and mineral content than their soft water Colombians



But not only cichlids, the way Sturisomatichthys whiptail cats, S panamense (pH 8) in Panama, and Sturisomatichthys species from the soft waterrs of Colombia, pH 7 and lower.


and Chaetostoma fischeri of Panama (pH 8 and higher)and C palmeri of Colombia , pH 6.
or the Ctenolucius beanii of Panama compared (pH 8*) to Ctenolucius hujeta of Colombia pH 7 and much more acidic.

 

[lil_pendejo]

While collecting, have you made it down to Rio Canaveral and caught any Amatitlania altoflava?

 

[duanes]

Rio Canaveral is quite far (north and west) from where I live, and have collected so far.

The drive would be at least 9 hours of a good day, from Panama City.
So the logistics would be difficult, to manage, and expensive.
I would like to do it some day, but that is an entirely different fish region than the area I normally collect near the Darien.