Rio Acequias, Barinas, Venezuela

[Shane]

Some of my friend Cesar's underwater shots. Includes Farlowella and Ancistrus in their natural habitat.
-Shane

http://www.facebook.com/cesarlba?v=phot ... =609400027

[L number Banana]

Not a member of facebook. Any idea if they are posted anywhere else? I would absolutely love to see these pics!

[MatsP]

I don't believe you have to be a facebook member to view things - but I could be wrong, as I am a facebook member.

--
Mats

[Janne]

You have to loggin to see the pics, so you need to be a member on facebook.

Janne

[Dave Rinaldo]

Not a member of facebook. Any idea if they are posted anywhere else? I would absolutely love to see these pics!

Here are the Farlowella and Ancistrus pics.

[Dave Rinaldo]

And the two habitat pics...

[Shane]

Thanks Dave!
-Shane

[bronzefry]

Oh, that Farlowella sp. looks a bit familiar!!!!

[L number Banana]

How wonderful! Thanks so much Dave!

Need a bit better mix of rock and sand in my twig tanks. I expected to see so much more plant life but I guess it varies.

Anyone know what kind of root that beautiful red one is?

Googled up an interesting looking book when trying to ID the rocks:
http://books.google.ca/books?id=mE88S0O ... q=&f=false

[Shane]

I expected to see so much more plant life but I guess it varies.

The Rio Acequias is an Andean piedmont river actually best known as a spot for white water rafters. Not much plant life there, even in the dry season when the above pics were taken. This is pretty standard habitat for the various piedmont Farlowella spp. Their body shape would make one think they could not survive, let alone thrive, in white waters... but many spp do.

Also, the Ancistrus is a great example of how hard it is to identify members of the genus (assuming the animal is even described). Here we have a clear pic of the creature in its natural habitat, I have every paper written on Venezuelan Ancistrus, and can not identify it. Really shows the futility of trying to identify the majority of pet store purchases.
-Shane

[MatsP]

Also, the Ancistrus is a great example of how hard it is to identify members of the genus (assuming the animal is even described). Here we have a clear pic of the creature in its natural habitat, I have every paper written on Venezuelan Ancistrus, and can not identify it. Really shows the futility of trying to identify the majority of pet store purchases.
-Shane

Indeed very true. And if that came up in a post in "What's my catfish", with no further information as to where it came from, etc, I would be inclined to say "common" - although I'm not sure if it's the angle or the fish that is unusually short and wide... It probably isn't the common species....

--
Mats