On the Collection of Apistogramma in the Wild

[Taka Apisto]

It has been a while since I last spoke with everyone.
I’m planning to travel from Japan to Colombia in the near future to conduct field research and collect Apistogramma in their natural habitats. However, I’m a complete beginner when it comes to traveling in South America or doing fieldwork, so I would be very grateful if the experts here could share any important precautions or recommend an appropriate travel plan.I understand the risks involved, but my main targets are the Meta River basin and the Guaviare River basin. If possible, I would also like to consider the Vaupés and Apaporis River basins, although I’ve heard that the security situation there is quite dangerous, so I may have to avoid them.

 

[rasmusW]

Sadly i can’t help you or give any good advice. All I can say is best of luck. I hope you get to do the trip and post pictures here once you are back.

-r

 

[Ttw]

Some questions
!. Do you or someone you will be with speak Spanish?
2. How will you be getting around?
3. Are you planning to bring the fish you collect back to Japan and if so how?
4. How will you be keeping the fish as you travel in Colombia?

 

[Frank Hättich]

I would contact Daniel Mejia.

 

[MacZ]

Do you or someone you will be with speak Spanish?

Absolutely agree, this is vital!

 

[Taka Apisto]

Some questions
!. Do you or someone you will be with speak Spanish?
2. How will you be getting around?
3. Are you planning to bring the fish you collect back to Japan and if so how?
4. How will you be keeping the fish as you travel in Colombia?

Thank you very much for your questions.
Although my travel plans are not yet fully decided, my current situation is as follows:

1. Do you or someone you will be with speak Spanish?
At the moment, I do not speak Spanish. My native language is Japanese, and English is my second language. I plan to study Spanish over the next year, but I believe it will still be difficult for me to reach a level where I can communicate smoothly in the field.

2. How will you be getting around?
I am considering both land and air travel, depending on the region and the advice I receive from experienced collectors.

3. Are you planning to bring the fish you collect back to Japan, and if so, how?
If possible, I would like to send the collected fish to experts in Japan and other countries. However, I currently do not have any connections with local shippers, so I am unsure how to handle the export process.

4. How will you be keeping the fish as you travel in Colombia?
I have no experience with this aspect either, so I would greatly appreciate any recommendations on the best methods for keeping fish healthy during travel in Colombia.

 

[Taka Apisto]

I would contact Daniel Mejia.

I really appreciate it, Frank.
To be honest, the team I would most like to join is yours — including Daniel.

 

[Ttw]

1. Absolutely necessary that someone in your party is fluent in Spanish.
2. Getting around can be a problem in the rural areas. The roads can be very bad and if it rains almost impassable. Renting a car can also be difficult in South America.
3. You need to have the services of a trusted exporter. Also some countries now require a collecting permit. You don't want to be caught without one.
4. During my road based trips we kept the fish bagged and in coolers. Not ideal but unless you have a home base where you can keep the fish it is the only way I know to keep the fish with you. We still lost fish to either over heating or freezing.

The best advice I can give is to go with an experienced collector who has all the necessary things covered.

 

[Mike Wise]

Ttw is correct on all 4 questions. His best advice is the last sentence. Also, although collecting fish is your primary purpose, never, never let it be the only reason for going. Experiencing the people, culture and the natural surroundings are just as important.

 

[Taka Apisto]

1. Absolutely necessary that someone in your party is fluent in Spanish.
2. Getting around can be a problem in the rural areas. The roads can be very bad and if it rains almost impassable. Renting a car can also be difficult in South America.
3. You need to have the services of a trusted exporter. Also some countries now require a collecting permit. You don't want to be caught without one.
4. During my road based trips we kept the fish bagged and in coolers. Not ideal but unless you have a home base where you can keep the fish it is the only way I know to keep the fish with you. We still lost fish to either over heating or freezing.

The best advice I can give is to go with an experienced collector who has all the necessary things covered.

Thank you very much for the extremely helpful advice.
It made me realize that, with only members from Japan, the level of difficulty would be far beyond what we could handle.I would like to ask how experienced field collectors deal with these four issues in practice.
I would be very grateful to hear directly from those who have real on‑the‑ground experience.

 

[Taka Apisto]

Ttw is correct on all 4 questions. His best advice is the last sentence. Also, although collecting fish is your primary purpose, never, never let it be the only reason for going. Experiencing the people, culture and the natural surroundings are just as important.

Thank you very much for your message.
What I truly want to understand is the environment in which Apistogramma live — not only typical water parameters, but also the natural sounds, smells, the animals that coexist with them, and the overall atmosphere of the ecosystem. By experiencing these things firsthand, I hope to gain a deeper, more fundamental understanding of Apistogramma.

As you mentioned, getting to know the people and culture that coexist with these fish — and even the cultures of the regions we pass through on the way to their habitats — is also one of my goals in conducting this field research.

Therefore, if our presence in the field were to have a negative impact on the natural ecosystem, I believe we should refrain from conducting the survey.

Through this research, if we happen to find an interesting Apistogramma, I would like to share it with everyone. And by conveying the reality of the local environment and the richness of its biodiversity, I hope to inspire even one more person to take an interest in nature conservation.