# Cryptocoryne from blackwater streams of Sarawak



## junglemike

May 14, 2008. After 6 hours of driving, my friend & I reached a blackwater stream near Sibu. The peat swamp is full of blood sucking mosquitoes. It's not a pleasant site to collect some fishes for our aquarium. However, we're shocked to find out, the fish is found abundantly there. Less than half an hour, we found almost all the beautiful tropical fish which can be found in the peat swamp of Sarawak! And, we also found _Cryptocoryne_ there!

The undisturbed blackwater peat swamp (water is acidic):










Collecting fish on a fallen tree:










_Betta akarensis_ (wild fighting fish):










This swamp is infested with thousand of mosquitoes!










Most probably _Crypt yujii _in submerged condition:


----------



## junglemike

Most probably _Cryptocoryne yujii_









emersed condition:










_Sundadanio axelrodi_ (colour is not showing up; under stress)










Bumblebee catfish, _Nanobagrus fuscus_.










2nd smallest fish, _Paedocypris micromegethes _(length = less than 1cm)










....to be continued.


----------



## Kai Witte

Hello Mike,

Thanks for another photo essay!

BTW, the crypt seems more like pallidinervia to me. Please post pics how it develops in culture - that may give additional hints short of flowering.


----------



## junglemike

Kai Witte said:


> Hello Mike,
> 
> Thanks for another photo essay!
> 
> BTW, the crypt seems more like pallidinervia to me. Please post pics how it develops in culture - that may give additional hints short of flowering.


The Crypt is melted in my tank.....so no idea what it is.....


----------



## Stephan K.

Hi Mike,

wonderful pictures!
Is the Bumblebee catfish the one we've missed in November because of high water level?

Stephan


----------



## junglemike

Stephan K. said:


> Hi Mike,
> 
> wonderful pictures!
> Is the Bumblebee catfish the one we've missed in November because of high water level?
> 
> Stephan


Yes, Stephan. Its cute, isn't it?


----------



## Yoong

Mike,
Nice picture. Thanks for sharing.

Yoong


----------



## Stephan K.

Hi Mike,

it's very cute. Maybe June 2009 ....

Stephan


----------



## Xema

Awesome as always!

Thanks for sharing your pictures with us!!


----------



## jazzlvr123

yes i love these photo essays the pictures are great thanks for sharing


----------



## junglemike

Thanks to everyone for viewing....


----------



## junglemike

On the following day, we went to check out ablackwater stream at a disturbed Kerangas forest. Not much fish there but we're suprised to catch a few _Paedocypris micromegethes_. This tiny fish is more common than we thought!

2nd location of our trip:










Pikehead (_Luciocephalus pulcher_). This is a predatory fish!










After half an hour later, we moved to 3rd location.










Found Cryptocoryne again & I think it is probably _Cryptocoryne pallidinervia_.










_Blyxa_ sp.










A fish trap set by someone. The bait is the oil palm fruits.


----------



## junglemike

Collecting fish.










_Betta brownorum_



















4th location: this is the type locality of _Paedocypris micromegethes _ near Mukah. Unfortunately, the habitat is badly disturbed & we couldn't find this fish anymore! However, we saw a big population of _Cryptocoryne cordata _ var. _zonata _ :










A fly (pollinator??) on the spathe (flower) of _Cryptocoryne cordata _ var. _zonata _ :










_Cryptocoryne cordata _ var. _zonata _ :


----------



## junglemike

The leaf of _Cryptocoryne cordata _ var. _zonata_ :










The spathe:










_Cyrtosperma _ sp.










_Barclaya motleyi_:










The flower of _Barclaya motleyi_:


----------



## junglemike

Tiny fish, _Paedocypris micromegethes _ (adult size):










All fishes are packed into an ice box (ice is keep in a smaller ice box, no direct contact with the plastic bags contain the live fish). The fatality rate is very low. Only 2 or 3 fishes are dead by the time we reached home, after 6 hours later. Some fishes are kept in breathable bags.










Say goodbye to mighty Rajang river, the longest river in Malaysia:










On the way back, we saw an "injured" transformer! Shall we help him?










THE END.


----------



## fastang80

Great pictures.


----------



## junglemike

Thanks. I just came back from another trip. Will post my photos next week.


----------

