Collecting Panama-Knife fish

[duanes]

After spending the night in a hotel in Panama City, Dani Atencio picked me up at the Amaze Inn the final day of Carnevale, in Casco Viejo, and we got an 8 AM start.


We would normally be constrained by the back-n-forth ferry schedule, and not getting on the road until almost 10 AM, but today we planned to hit at least 3 (maybe even 4) maximizing chances of finding and catching more Geophagus.Having caught the 1st, and only Geo so far, in the Rio Plataneros de Chepo a month ago, that was the main target, and was our starting collection point, so we could work our way back, hitting all uncontaminated rivers, those more remote rivers further east, in an effort to collect more Geos.
The first river we hit though, was the Rio Terable, and it was quite swollen and fast moving.


The only fish caught were Tetras (which were all thrown back (usually being riddled with Lernea), a couple catfish (not quite sure what species yet though) and lots of knife fish.



Once they started being netted, almost every cast brought one of the knifes up, but no Geos, so we moved on keeping just 3 of the Gymnotiformes.

Next was the small, (maybe only 10 ft wide stream) the Plataneros, but construction had recently altered it to half width, it was turbid with particulate, and no geos, so again moved on.
We next hit the Rio Uni, it had lots of Tetras (also returned to the river), and one (so far unidentified) goby was kept.



The massive Mamoni was came up last up, with its fast flowing tributary called the Rio Margaritas, where nothing was caught.
So we called it a day

 

[Simonas]

That was such an interesting read thanks for sharing.

The knife looks cool

 

[duanes]

Still not sure which catfish species, so I´d be interested in any insight, a catfish aficionado might possess.

 

[Fallen_Leaves16]

The catfish is a Trichomycterus spp., of the genus I think only striatus is found as far up north as Panama. Quite a variable sp., though I am used to seeing individuals with a thick lateral stripe. One of the interesting stream-dwelling pencil-catfishes.
The knife-fish is Sternopygus spp. Off the top of my head, I know macrurus can be found throughout the southern end of Panama, but I am not entirely sure if that is the fish you caught.

 

[duanes]

Thanks for those IDs
I´m pretty well versed in new world cichlids, but pretty ignorant of other fish families.
It interesting to me that, when 1st netted in the Latte colored water of the river, the knifefish matched their surrounding very color well,
but once in the temporary holding cooler, and in the tank, darkening was almost immediate.

 

[HarleyK]

I love that you stayed at the "Amaze Inn"

Thanks for posting your expedition, truly awesome!

 

[duanes]

The main purpose of the stay in Panama City was to escape Carnevale on the island where I live.
Just across from where I live is where Carnevale ´s epicenter.

So from noon until 4 AM, it becomes an entire sleepless week, a bit much for an old foagie like me.
The Amaze in became a nice rooftop sanctuary to escape the chaos.

And when the ability to do an entire day of uninterrupted collecting presents, I take it.
Although having fish spend too much time in a cooler, is a challenge.
Large Water changes every few hours are a necessity to keep the fish alive, so I usually do all my fishing the last day of the hotel stay., even though I pack a battery operated air pump, and a regular one to be plugged in the wall over night, as part of the collecting kit.

 

[duanes]

A couple other catfish shots of one collected Monday.

 

[The 426 Hemi]

Great info and pictures as always!! I wish you luck in finding more Geos.