PlanetCatfish.com

Hello there,

Last weekend I was idle at home, and I decided to go check some rice paddies on the rural area of my town (southern Brazil). According to a friend, they were surrounded by a net of irrigation channels, where he once spotted some interesting catfishes.
So, I packed my things, and went there!
Too bad I forgot my camera, so I could take some pictures in place.
My first impression was "what the hell?! that looks like a sewer! no way I'm getting in!"
Then what caught my attention, was the fact that it was crowded with elodeas and some interesting aquatic plants.. but my mission was searching for cats!
To my impression, my first try with my ridiculous net, already brought an otocinclus! (I just can't take any picutes, it keeps hidding!)
then I got something interesting..
in my opinion it is a

it was no more than 2 or 3 cm..
that's where I decided to go in that slimy gutter-looking "stream"
appart from some weird tetras, characidiuns and even a small hoplas, I got some rinoloricaria (they are so ommon in here!) and brought home a pack of these guys

?
I assume that because that's the only similar one in my area.
I'll see if I can take some pictures the next time I go there.
and even better pictures of the fish I brought home

cheers!

wow, they are stunning looking and great pattern indeed. thanks jk

Nice

Great trip and fish!
Reminds me of a recent trip to a "river" here in manaus it stank and looked horrible but I caught tons of great cats.
Thanks
Hudson

Hey Hudson!

Manaus? not fair! that is a mecca for catfishes!
Well, I guess catfish here are just different, very few species, but some are quite interesting, such as Scleromystax Barbatus.
However, my main goal when posting those pictures was, to show how road side water channels irrigating rice paddies can bear such diversity of species!
If you take a look spuerficialy, its gutter look is completely indimitating, but when you come closer and see stripes of elodeas and other commonly traded plants, everything changes!

I want to go back to that channel, FAST!
oh yeah, extra pictures of some critters I got there..

https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 3628122210
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 2283952786
I like the two red spots on the edge of its tail.
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 6916892082
this S. Barbatus is tiny!
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 5381402210
not everything there was a catfish, but..
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 8141911314
there were at least 3 or 4 different species of otos there..
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 3418023922
terrible picture of an interesting critter!
https://picasaweb.google.com/1008315505 ... 9123821506
Apparently. a school of C. ehrhardti..

Sorry for reposting pictures I have already posted on other parts of the forum..

Sorry if it's a bit off subject, but did you see many frogs? reason I ask is that I have asian rice paddy frogs and am interested in any S.American species similar, thankyou and for the read too.

Hello there!

Well, unfortunatly I haven't seen any amphibian species, on the other hand I guess this website provides the best information on amphibians you can find http://www.ra-bugio.org.br/anfibios_per ... =0class=pg on my town.
I know it is in portuguese, but if you click on the thumbnails, you'll get more detailed information.
Sorry if I can't go any further, next time I go collecting fish, I'll let you know..
oh, of course, it's winter over here, and there are lots of tadpoles on every small stream, and even larger creeks.

Not to mention I don't live on a tropical area, so you won't find those colorful dendrobates species around here..

Thankyou very much