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Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 19:16
by Heribertogj
Hi guys, a few more underwater shots in Xingu river..
Hypancistrus zebra
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Peckoltia vittata
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 19:18
by Heribertogj
Parancistrus nudiventris and Panaque armbrusteri
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 19:24
by Heribertogj
Oligancistrus sp.
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Parancistrus nudiventris, Ancistrus ranunculus and Hopliancistrus sp.
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Hopliancistrus sp.
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 19:27
by Suckermouth
Very nice!

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 19:31
by Heribertogj
young Crenicichlas
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 20:02
by vanillarum
I am sooo jealous !!

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 20:30
by grokefish
Heribertogj wrote:Parancistrus nudiventris and Panaque armbrusteri
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Best picture ever...................

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 20:59
by mangopleco
thats so sick i wanted do that sometime

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 22:18
by pleco22
Uhhh!
Great pictures of a great place. Like the picture with the Hypancistrus zebra.

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 21 Sep 2012, 23:21
by lotsabettas
amazing pictures :D

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 00:41
by jeremybasch
Wow! What I'd give for some of those fish! We haven't seen those Crenicichla in a long time due to the ban.

Jeremy

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 01:45
by Matt30
I have had my feelers out for a Parancistrus nudiventris for over two years now, grate to see a picture of one in the wild, my favourite Catfish.
Thanks for posting.

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 02:52
by Heribertogj
Thank´s guys!!! More pics...
Panaque armbrusteri
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Pseudacanthicus sp. L-25 (terrible pic)
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L-14 Scobinancistrus aureatus
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L-18 Baryancistrus xanthellus
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 02:55
by Heribertogj
Hypancistrus zebra
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 03:43
by Matt30
Bit of a random question but do you test the water parameters TDS/PH/Temp etc ,from wear you collect the fish from ?

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 06:40
by wrasse
Superb post!

Any more pics???

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 10:05
by har_eh
Awesome post, thanks for sharing!

Do you have an estimate on how many l46 are out there, surely the numbers must have grown since they're "not" being exported anymore?

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 10:44
by saor alba
Your a lucky guy Heribertogj thats cracking stuff .
Whats the situation on the water flow/clarity any big difference,s so far etc and is the dams on or off building work at the moment .

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 11:07
by Heribertogj
Hi guys, these photos were taken in 2010.
Matt30, pH 8.0, temp 30.1 ...
har_eh, I have no idea how H. Zebra exist in the rapids of the Xingu, but I guarantee that there are few, because they still collect illegally.
Now the Belo Monte dam is already being built. I don´t know how is the situation now, but the result will not be good for endemic plecos, because the flow through the "Volta Grande" will not be capable of maintaining species.

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 11:32
by Heribertogj
More pics...
Pseudancistrus barbatus
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Peckoltia vittata
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Leporinus species
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Breeding caves (L-14,L-48, L-15, L-75)
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Magic box!
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 14:38
by unblinded
Totally cool. I'm too jealous. Thanks for allowing us to experience a little piece of the dive with your photos. Can you explain how the "magic box" works? Do you put bait in to lure them in or do they use it as a territory? Or is it just a holding box for ones you've caught using some other method?

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 15:39
by Heribertogj
Hi unblinded, this is a holding box for the ones captured using manual collection method (only the big ones, L-14, L-25, L-27 and others adults specimes). For small ones, they use a different storage.
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Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 15:58
by HaakonH
These pictures are fantastic! Where between Altamira and Belo Monte are the pictures from? I always wondered how wide-spread the different Xingu-species are in the river. For example: Is Hypancistrus zebra found "everywhere" from Altamira to Belo Monte, or only at 4-5 different locations? And if it does occur at many different sites, what makes these sites special? And are the fishermen who collect them illegaly now catching them at just one site, or do they catch them at many different sites?

Great stuff! I would love to see even more pictures :d

Haakon

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 16:20
by Heribertogj
Hi Haakon,
Hypancistrus zebra were collected in six different locations (near at Altamira, near at Belo Monte and the middle of this course, called "Volta Grande") Found in rock crevices in moderate flowing streams.

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 16:30
by HaakonH
Thanks, Heribertogj :)

Did you ever see any other Hypancistrus species in other parts of the river except around Belo Monte?

If a Hypancistrus species is found at a certain location as the only member of the Hypancistrus genus, it backs up the theory of it being a genuine species of it's own. Until now, only H.zebra, L066 and L333 are known to live in some locations as the only Hypancistrus in that spot. Many Hypancistrus forms, like L173, L236, L399 and L400 are only known from Belo Monte where they live together in the same area.

Haakon

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 18:12
by rob rensen
Amazig pics......thanks for sharing


those panaque's....great

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 18:22
by rob rensen
Could you tell some more about the conditions over there where you'd catch the big panaque's. I mean like depth, temp, current etc
Was their allot of wood in the river and how many did you'd find around one log
thx !!

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 19:14
by wrasse
Heribertogj - brilliant job!

This is seriously good stuff.
What is lacking in the hobby, is a current record of water parameters at catch locations.
And also the 'structure' of the river... clarity, flow, depth, day and night temp, what the river bed is like, wood, rocks, gravel, sand etc.

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 19:36
by Flyfisher
I agree Mr Wrasse. This is a great thread! That first pic holding the zebra! You look like a diver who's found a gold bar in a wreck! Happy as the proverbial pig :-)

I love that so many species are found so close together, is that often the case????
That pic of them all in a net, it reminds me of a well stocked tank on here recently ;-)

PH8!?!?!? Are you serious??? Is this because of work being done on the dam, concrete, brickwork, construction processes?? or is this the norm????

Big thanks

Gavin

Re: Diving in Xingu

Posted: 22 Sep 2012, 20:06
by Vaney..
Very nice pictures...