Fishes of Panama

  • We are currently upgrading MFK. thanks! -neo

duanes

MFK Moderators
Staff member
Moderator
MFK Member
Jun 7, 2007
22,064
28,596
2,910
Isla Taboga Panama via Milwaukee
These are all species caught between the Rio Chagres and its tributaries in Central Panama, which includes Panama Canal, and it's lakes, to as far east as the Rio Ipiti in the Darien. I begin with just the rivers, and a few tributaries
IMG_2036.jpeg
Above is the Panama Canal shot from above in Gamboa, near the Pacific end.
Below and northern end of the canal, at the Caribbean end near Colon.
IMG_8241.jpeg
Below Lago Arenosa, a part of the Chagres river and Panama canal system.
IMG_9818.jpeg
And below, the Rio Ipiti, in the Darien, the furthest east and most remote area I gave collected so far.
IMG_2743.jpeg
It took 2 hours on a dirt road to access.
Below the Rio Mamoni situated on the western edge of the the Darien.
IMG_4805.jpeg
 
Last edited:
1st some Gobies, called Guavina here.
Eleotris picta, sometimes called the water cow in the states
IMG_1434.jpeg
The gener found here range from Brazil and Peru in S America, to as far north as California, and Georgia in the US, and can be found in fresh, brackish, and in both Ocean.
IMG_0998.jpeg
IMG_2337.jpeg
Below Gobiomorus dormitor, the big mouth sleeper
IMG_9019.jpeg
IMG_1765.jpeg
It is a consummate predator that can get large, and eat everything fro medium cichlids, to catfish in an aquarium.
IMG_3490.jpeg
And the most common goby found in the rivers where I collect, Awaous banana.
A scavanger, and sand sifter.
IMG_1490.jpeg
I have found it to be a great aquarium fish, holding itts own with cichlids, yet not overly aggressive.
IMG_2111.jpeg
IMG_2075.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Catfish and plecos are common all over Panama.
IMG_1175.jpeg
These are Pimodella chagresi, these were caught in the Rio Pedro Miguel in shallow water.
adc6eacf-24bd-4b5b-a300-e1ef9f7a866b.jpeg
IMG_0555.jpeg
You can see by the way the flash lights up their eye, they are nocturnal, and prefer slow flow areas.
IMG_1598.jpeg.
Unlike the species above, most of the pleos types I catch, are mostly found im strong current areas, even rapids, and in the counter current zones directly under waterfalls.
Every cast of the net in the area above would bring upp a 10-12" pleco.
3b7d146a-475c-4dd9-89d6-ca605f412975.jpeg
9ed79a01-143e-473c-868f-c58ff7e45ee4.jpeg
I below this is a Chaetostoma species
IMG_5309.jpeg
Then there are the armored whip tais cats, Sturisomatichthys panamense.
IMG_4996.jpeg
IMG_4904.jpeg
Male above, you can tell by the hair like appendages near the gill plate.
These are always found in swift flowing streams.
IMG_4802.jpeg
IMG_4946.jpeg
Note the lack of hairy appendages.
IMG_4922.jpeg
 
Last edited:
So far, in 5 years of collecting, I have only caught 3 species of endemic cichlids.
The 1st and most commonly caught ia Andinoacara coeruleopunctatus.
IMG_9014.jpeg
Above is the variant most commonly found in central Panama, from the Pacora river and west,
belows the variant found in more eastern rivers.
IMG_2407.jpeg
I usually catch them at about 2", and they easily grow to over 7.
Both spawn seasonally between Dec, tru March.
IMG_2841.jpeg
IMG_1486.jpeg
Further east is where Isthmomeros tuyrense was found.
IMG_3024.jpeg
IMG_2335.jpeg
These vary in color and pattern, and are quite aggressive with each other, and other cichlids.
IMG_7370.jpeg
Darienheros calobrese was not found, until we reached the Rio Mamoni, bordering the Darien.
These seem to be more rheophillis than the others, usually only caught where current is strong.
ab5aba25-f8c0-4022-b481-3b80e9fd5275.jpeg
They remind me of Geophagines, and tend to to be earth eaters and sift sandy substrate
IMG_7829.jpeg.
IMG_6843.jpeg

IMG_4578.jpeg
 
Last edited:
Characins (tetras and ther kin) are probably the most common fish in Panama.
For every 1 cichlid caught in the net, probably 50 to 100 tetras are caught.
Astyanax have been the most common.
IMG_3745.jpeg
I find them in fast water, slow water, deep water, water of only a few inches deep, lakes, rivers, tiny creeks
IMG_3795.jpeg
Bring up a close 2nd in population are the genus Roeboides.
IMG_5984.jpeg
Some get quite large.
IMG_3935.jpeg
The Brycon above can reach a length of 2 ft (59 cms)
IMG_3665.jpeg
IMG_2643.jpeg
Another tetra related species that found its way into our nets, is the gar Characin, Ctenolucius beani.
IMG_4500.jpeg
IMG_5013.jpeg
Then there are the toothless tetras, from the genus Cyphcharax.
IMG_8577.jpeg
IMG_5695.jpeg

IMG_6675.jpeg
 
And just to thorough, I test water parameters in all water bodies where I have collected using the API liquid tests, and API strips

The pH has always hovered around 8 to 8.2.
IMG_4811.jpeg
Nitrates have always undetectable.
IMG_4815.jpeg
Hardness is usually moderate to quite hard, depending on rainfall.
IMG_0311.jpeg, IMG_3811.jpeg
IMG_4378.jpeg
And water temps around 80'F (26.5' C)
IMG_6870.jpeg
 
Last edited:
MonsterFishKeepers.com