Peru 2016
Hi guys! I've been busy with my thesis and haven't been around much here. But I was able to take a trip to Peru at the end of July to mid August. This report is a little late since there were fish that were very difficult to identify. There are still some fish we're not sure of.
Anyways, I hope you enjoy this virtual trip to Peru! :)
This trip almost didn't happened TWICE! But I was glad to make the sacrifices to make it happen in the end. Full story on the blog. I spent roughly one week around Cusco and one week in the Peruvian Amazon close to Iquitos. Most of the fishing was done in the Amazon, but I was happy to catch at least one Andean species and two saltwater species. This visit to Peru also allowed me to check off another continent which I have fished. Now I just need Africa ;) and Antarctica :shock:!
The full blog starts here on Day 1 (I'm sure you can navigate through the other days on my blog):
http://muskiebaitadventures.blogspot.ca/2016/07/2016-peru-day-1.html
Here are some selected photos. Lots more on my blog.
Cusco
Pisac
Ollantaytambo
Salkantay hike - Highest I've ever hiked so far (4600m)...while having a bout of food poisioning!
Machu Picchu
Peruvian Amazon
Some interesting food
Guinea pig
Alpaca
Palm weevil larvae
Breaded Arapaima
~~~~~~
And finally, roughtly 50 species from fish from Peru caught on this trip.
Acrobrycon ipanquianus - Species #579 
Serrasalmus rhombeus - Species #580 (Red eye and thick black margin on the tail ID this as S. rhombeus) 
Pirapitinga (Piaractus brachypomus) - Species #581
Red Piranha (Pygocentrus nattereri) - Species #582
Bloch's Catfish (Pimelodus blochii) - Species #583 
Sorubim maniradii - Species #584 (black stripe seems diffuse to me) 
Cynodon gibbus - Species #585 (little cousin to the well known Payara. The Payara has much shorter anal fin) 
Ageneiosus ucayalensis - Species #586 
Triportheus angulatus - Species #587 
Tetragonopterus argenteus - Species #588 
Stethaprion crenatum - Species #589
Triportheus albus - Species #590 
Flatwhiskered Catfish (Pinirampus pirinampu) - Sepcies #591 
Trahira (Hoplias malabaricus) - Species #592 
Spotted Pike-characin (Boulengerella maculata) - Species #593 
Brycon melanopterus - Species #594 
Mesonauta mirificus - Species #595 (updated)
Crenicichla semicincta - Species #596 (Green diagonal bands on the body is the ID key) 
Leporinus moralesi - Species #597 (This species was determined base on range. L. moralesi is found in Peru) 
Blue Whale Catfish (Cetopsis coecutiens) - Species #598 
Pterodoras granulosus - Species #599 
Cichla monoculus - Species #600!!! 
Brycon cephalus - Species #601 (Still trying to determine if it really is B. cephalus)
Tucan Fish (Chalceus erythrurus) - Species #602 
Spotfin Hatchetfish (Thoracocharax stellatus) - Species #603 
Rhamdia quelen - Species #604 (updated) 
Hypselecara temporalis - Species #605 
Ageneiosus inermis - Species #606 
Spotted sorubim (Pseudoplatystoma corruscans) - Species #607 
Brachyplatystoma vaillantii - Species #608 
Zamurito (Calophysus macropterus) - Species #609 
Unknown - Species #610 (still being determined) 
Ctenobrycon hauxwellianus - Species #611
Aequidens tetramerus - Species #612 (we think these are A. tetramerus...still checking) 
Brachychalcinus sp. - Species #613 (some thinks it is B. copei, but I'm not so sure) 
Bujurquina syspilus - Species #614
Mylossoma aureum - Species #615 
Roeboides myersii - Species #616
Pimelodella cristata - Species #617 (I'm certain it is a Pimelodella, and P. cristata seems the closest) 
Aimara (Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus) - Species #618
Erythrinus erythrinus - Species #619 
Bandtail Tetra (Moenkhausia dichroura) - Species #620 
Glass tetra (Moenkhausia oligolepis) - Species #621
Moenkhausia chrysargyrea - Species #622 (updated)
Astyanax sp. - Species #623 (In the publication Ornamental Fishes of Peru, this was listed as an Astyanax sp., but no one seems to know which species it is) 
Twospot Astyanax (Astyanax bimaculatus) - Species #624 
Moenkhausia colletti - Species #625 (Still trying to verify this) 
Pimelodella gracilis - Species #626 (There are so many similar Pimelodella species, still not sure which one) 
Moenkhausia lepidura - Species #627
Giant Blenny (Scartichthys gigas) - Species #628
Chalapo Clinid (Labrisomus philippii) - Species #629 
Updated:
Cichlasoma amazonarum - Species #630 - Technically, it was caught in the same pond as Aequidens teramerus, so really should be Species #613 and everything after gets pushed back a number. But I'm not going to edit that number here. This species was ID'd by 4 anal spines and several rows of scales on the posterior rays of the dorsal and anal fins.
Auslobster
Posts: 1901
Date Joined: 03/05/08
Species # 600!
You'd have to be happy it was a well-known sportfish (peacock bass) as opposed to all the lesser recognised bits and pieces!
And that grilled alpaca looks pretty good!
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
I feel the opposite
I feel the opposite actually.
There are probably tens of thousands of people who have caught a Peacock Bass and other well known sportfish like the Trahira. How many people in the world have caught a Spotfin Hatchetfish on hook and line? Or some of those small tetras by hook and line?
So much has been written about them, and so many films have featured them. Same old, same old.
To be special, you need to do something unique. Catching a Peacock Bass, a well-known sportfish and main targets, is neither special nor unique.
To be honest, I was really hoping my #600 would be something really obscure and rare. Unfortunately, you can't really plan it out that way. The species comes when it comes...
But always think outside the box and expand the horizon!
Michael Yoni
Posts: 603
Date Joined: 02/01/11
Interesting study. Always
Interesting study. Always liked your catalogue if species.
Are you also compiling/storing a DNA repository with these species.
I suppose funding might be a an issue here.
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
No, I don't work in
No, I don't work in ichthyology. I just fish for species for fun. Collecting specimens and DNA take lots of organization. I'll also need collaborators with access to equipment and funding to do the analysis and cataloging. Lately, I've been thinking we should get into it scientifically though.
Yewiefish85
Posts: 792
Date Joined: 02/01/11
As a fish geek, this is
As a fish geek, this is absolutely awesome, what I would do to be able to keep some of those species in an aquarium, what size hooks and gear do you use to catch the tetras and the like?
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
For the tetras (10cm or
For the tetras (10cm or less), I used #26 hooks or smaller tanago hooks from Japan tied to 1lb to 4lb mono. I used a tenkara rod for most of the trip for the micros, except for the last two days when I had to use my ultralight rod after I lost my tenkara rod.
EL SYD
Posts: 599
Date Joined: 16/08/10
Great field report as usual
Great field report as usual Ken, love your post
KenTse
Posts: 139
Date Joined: 23/11/10
Thanks!
Thanks!