Collecting trip

[Ttw]

I recently returned from a collecting trip to Peru. This trip was out of Puerto Maldonado. We collected several sites around that city on some day trips. We then made our way to the Rio Acre at the Peru-Brazil border. We spent 2 days in Brazil but did no collecting just some nature hikes. We had planned to go up the Acre and camp for a few days but illness of one of our party prevented that. We did collect several streams on the way back to Puerto Maldonado. Interestingly, the rains very quickly changed the streams unlike in the Iquitos area. On the way up to the Rio Acre we noted several small clear streams just begging for our nets. However, we had one day of heavy rain that turned the streams into muddy torrents. We collected them anyway.
In the end, we collected Apisto rubrolineatus, A. luelingi (I last collected this in central Bolivia) , A urteagai (pictures don't do it justice) , and another unidentified apisto. Also lots of other fish that I wasn't interested in.
Lots more areas to explore and collect from in the future.

 

[Tom C]

Possible to show us some pictures?

I would love to see the habitats/biotopes and especially the unknown apisto!

 

[Mike Wise]

... We then made our way to the Rio Acre at the Peru-Brazil border. ...

Interesting, I didn't know that the Rio Acre reached as far west as Peru. I would especially like to see photo of the unidentified apisto.

 

[Tom C]

Interesting, I didn't know that the Rio Acre reached as far west as Peru........

Nice maps we bought, Mike:

 

[Ttw]

We crossed the Rio Acre between Inapari, Peru ( a dreadful little village) and Assis, Brazil. Assis is a much more "affluent" village that lies in a "free zone" before you reach Brazilian imigration and customs.
I have some rather poor field pictures that I will attempt to post. The unidentified are quite small and need to grow a bit before useful pictures can be made. I also have GPS coordinates and water parameters for anyone interested.

 

[Mike Wise]

Your right, the Rio Acre does reach into Peru. I need to unroll those maps more often. The road from Puerto Maldonado to Iñapari looks like an interesting place to collect. The road crosses 2 different river systems - the Madeira (Madre de Dios) and Purus. Not too much farther north are headwaters of the Rio Juruá.

 

[Ttw]

The road does cross a number of streams. The road is currently undergoing improvements. Unfortunately they have caused many of the small streams to be dammed up by the elevated road. This has resulted in stagnation of the water and death of the vegetation now covered by the water and according to locals the fish have died. Therefore you have to follow some of these streams away from the road to get to potential collecting sites.
Things have changed enough that I was unable to even identify some of the locations suggested by Uwe Romer. But, there are new logging roads leading into the forest giving access to places that have not been easily reached before. Just need more time to explore these.

 

[Rolo]

Hi Tom,

Nice maps we bought, Mike:

great map!
Is this map available anywhere? ...or can I buy them only on location?

regards,
Rolo

 

[Mike Wise]

Tom & I bought the maps from the Puruvian Navy. A series of 3 maps cover the entire Amazon system in Peru. I don't think that you can get them except in Peru. They weren't cheap (about $75/€55) but are very detailed - 1:1 million. The only map that I could find that was close in detail (1:1.5 million) does not label most of the rivers.

 

[Rolo]

Tom & I bought the maps from the Puruvian Navy. A series of 3 maps cover the entire Amazon system in Peru. I don't think that you can get them except in Peru. They weren't cheap (about $75/€55) but are very detailed - 1:1 million. The only map that I could find that was close in detail (1:1.5 million) does not label most of the rivers.

Thanks Mike,

I expected that answer... :frown:

(so you have to take a pencil and draw a copy *g*)

regards,
Rolo

 

[Mike Wise]

Ha Ha! I think it is easier to translate my papers into German for you.

Mike

Thanks Mike,

I expected that answer... :frown:

(so you have to take a pencil and draw a copy *g*)

regards,
Rolo