What is the Traveller's Note Book forum for?

[Shane]

Hello and welcome to Traveller's Note Book.

I asked Jools to create this forum so we could have a specific place to discuss those aspects of the hobby that take place outside the fishroom. Appropriate discussions include collecting fishes in their natural habitat, fish collecting equipment and tips, transportation of collected fishes, discussions and photos of biotopes, legal and ethical considerations for collecting, and health and safety issues.

So gather your collecting gear, make sure your shot records are up to date, and get out and feed the mosquitos... or just pour a cool drink and enjoy learning more about the natural habitat of your favorite catfish.

-Shane

[Bas Pels]

I already planned a trip to the north of Uruguay in December. I'll spend a fortnight there, and intend to take along a camera and a GPS monitor. So even if the little water does not carry a name, the GPS location ought to suffice

on a side note, outside the fishroom, does that include my ponds in my backyard?

[racoll]

Great forum.

I don't necessarily think this should be limited to catfish and tropical locations though. I for one am interested in the wild habitats of all kinds of fishes.

We don't all have access to the Rio Tapajos, but there are wild fishes within a few miles of where almost everybody lives, with the possible exception of those that live in really big cities.

I am planning a few collecting trips this summer myself, to sample some New Zealand native fishes.

Beware the sandflies....

[L number Banana]

racoll wrote:

I don't necessarily think this should be limited to catfish and tropical locations though. I for one am interested in the wild habitats of all kinds of fishes.

Ditto. I'd like to see lots of collecting/observing places, not just the catfish heavens of the world. I just rigged up one of those skein?? nets and I'm off to local places now that the mosquitoes are smaller than bus size. I'll bring my camera just in case.

[Shane]

I don't necessarily think this should be limited to catfish and tropical locations though. I for one am interested in the wild habitats of all kinds of fishes.

Looks like we are all in agreement. I tried to word the above introduction to cover all collecting in all locations, but if I was not clear let me be so now. This forum is the appropriate place to discuss your collecting activities no matter where they occur or what spp you are targeting. Catching madtoms and bullheads in a local pond probably means little to the average US aquarists. However it is just as foreign and exciting to an aquarist from Australia as a collecting trip to Uganda.

I have always thought it strange that we are missing habitat photos for almost all the ictalurids in the Cat-eLog. Yet many forum members in the US probably drive by these habitats everyday on their way to work.

-Shane

[Bas Pels]

I have quite a lot of fishes from Uruguay - and recently I realized, that Johannesbur, South Africa and Perth, and Melbourne, Australia are just as far to the south - perhaps just as interesting

A few members of this forum come from these areas - so I wonder, what fishes do you people have around your house?

[Jools]

... and if you don't know, go find out!

Jools