If you were going to collect in Colombia

[madrededios]

All,

I am still in the planning stage of my collecting trip to Colombia later this year, and wanted to throw out this question. If you were going in search of an elusive Colombian Apistogramma species, where would you go and what species would you be the most excited about finding?

I am open to ideas at this point, so if there is a particular fish I should go and find, let me hear about it!

Thanks,

Brian Perkins
www.wildperu.net

 

[Bilbo]

If I was going to Colombia to look for fish I would be pretty excited just to be going but I would love to find and collect A.cruzi and the true A.viejita.
As to where I would go, I have no idea.

 

[tjudy]

I do not know about Apistos, but I would like to see some wild Sturisoma festivum again. The true longfin royal farlowella has not been collected for a long time. A recent article I translated by Ingo Seidel states that the collectors have moved to a different area of the country due to pressure from the drug cartels, which is why all the 'royal farlowella' coming in now are the short finned S. aurem. Here are Ingo's comments regarding location:

The long-finned royal farlowella exported from Columbia were collected for many years in the Catatumbo River system in the extreme north of Columbia. This river drains into Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela), which is the type locality for S. festivum.

Go get 'em! I would like two pair.....

 

[Ttw]

Brian
Colombia is a place that I have been interested in collecting for a few years. However, it seems as though the areas that I want to go are still dangerous. Oliver Lucanus has been there as you know, but he has escorts. Which areas are you currently considering?
Tom

 

[Mike Wise]

Brian, I gave you my suggestions. I forgot one: Take some security or have experience with assault rifles.:biggrin:

Bilbo, you won't find the true A. cruzi in Colombia. It comes from the Río Napo system in Peru. The cruzi-like species known from Colombia is A. sp. Putumayo, which is often sold as A. cruzi.