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Collecting report Bolivia 2016 Part 2

Ttw

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5 Year Member
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219
Location
Goodyear, Az. USA
As we drove south back to Trinidad we collected at several more roadside pools where we collected erythrura and linkei. P1000804.JPG Water pH 7.2-7.8 Tds 20-80 Temp 91˚-93˚ F.
Next we took Highway 3 west towards San Ingnacio de Moxos.P1000929.JPG P1000932.JPG Gasoline was purchased along the way in 2 liter soft drink bottles. P1000812.JPG We crossed the Rio Mamore on a ferry P1000817.JPG and joined intermittent cattle drives P1000822.JPG along the way.This area was much more lush with lots of ponds along the way. The road was again under construction and so we had to drive in soft newly graded clay.P1000826.JPG
We collected ponds in the Rio Apare drainage catching A. linkei, and inconspicua. P1000836.JPG Water pH 6.6 TDS 50-60 Temp 71˚ F. The final collecting location was in the Rio Tijamuchi drainage on the turn off to Belem. In 2001 the collecting site was chest deep clear black water with water pH 6.8 Tds70 Temp 65˚ F. At that time we collected A. leulingi and staecki. This time there was only 1 inch of water and 3 inches of mud.P1000824.JPG We only caught a few rivulus.
On the final night before heading back to Trinidad there was a heavy rain turning the road into a very slippery muddy trail. Our all wheel drive barely could manage the road. Most of the time we were slipping sideways down the road or heading toward the edge and down the bank into the forest. We had to stop several times to clear out the clay from the wheel wells so that the wheels would turn. The car was not happy. P1000841.JPG
In Trinidad we bagged our fish for transport back to the US. We used breather bags and a heat sealer.P1000842.JPG The sealer broke and so the rest of the bags were secured with a knot. This proved totally inadequate with all those bags leaking with the loss of many good fish.
The flight home was a day and a half late leaving Bolivia. We missed our connection in Miami because an inspector seemed to think we were trying to import dangerous fish. First time in about 30 years of collecting that we had this problem. Oh well, we finally made it home and succeeded in getting fish from each of the species we collected home . A successful trip.
Pictures of some of the fish now that they have grown.
A. erythrura P1000858.JPG P1000886.JPG
A. inconspicuaP1000883.JPG
A. inconspicua a different color form P1000867.JPG P1000870.JPG
A. linkei P1000928.JPG
 

Ttw

Active Member
5 Year Member
Messages
219
Location
Goodyear, Az. USA
We only caught two types of killies both of which my collecting partner has and I don't have any pictures of. One was Rivulus beniensis which we caught throughout Bolivia. They looked just like the pictures on the internet.
The other was only caught at Laguna Suarez and we only caught two. So far unidentified.
 

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