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Arroyo Catalan Grande, Artigas, Uruguay
November 26, 2006
GPS Coordinates: South 30 degrees 50.510' West 056 degrees 14.332'. Elevation: 621'.
Dont let this image fool you - Uruguay is not forested. Endless rolling prairies are broken only by distant patches of Eucalyptus (exotic) trees and streams and rivers lined by riparian vegetation like the above. Of course, over 300 years of intensive cattle ranching has had its impact on the vegetaion too.
Gymnogeophagus sp. Catalan Grande (Gymnogenys group)
Gymnogeophagus sp. Catalan (Rhabdotus group)
This is surprisingly not the most colorful rhabdotus group member in the north.
It looks like Epactionotus aky from Argentine Missiones.
Thanks to Stefan Koerber and Rahul Kumar for help with identification.
What ever it is, it was really beautiful and appears to be widely distributed in northern Uruguay. If it indeed is E. aky, then its distribution has just been significantly expanded.
Pseudocorynopoma doriae
A stunning characin! Possibly my favorite Uruguayan tetra. Older males possess very ornate fins. It is a Glandulocaudine tetra - a subfamily of characins which possess a caudal gland, found almost exclusively in males. The gland consists of tissue on the base of the caudal fin covered in part by enlarged scales.
Crenicichla cf. lepidota Catalan
The lepidota-types from northern Uruguay are very different from the southern ones. The northern types have a lot of black and slate shades on their fins, have a slightly different body shape and patterns. Different species? May be - I would not mix the two populations in an aquarium.
Crenicichla scotti
Almost every body of water we explored had this species. It's not particularly popular with aquarists, but it one of the most 'fun' and 'interactive' pikes I've ever kept.
Charax sp. Catalan Yellow.
I regret not bringing any of these back home. Stan Sung brought back another species of Charax from Uruguay with contrasting black and white patterns but they refused food in aquaria, so if you happen across that species in Uruguay, take a picture and toss 'em back.
Oligosarchus sp. Catalan
Australoheros scitulus Catalan
Note the characteristic spots on the cheek and the yellow fins. Some populations (species?) do not have the cheek spots.
Hypoptomus (?) sp. Catalan Grande Red Dorsal
Seeking identification counsel from catfish experts.
Characidium sp. Catalan
Photos by J. Cardwell, S. Jack and V. Kutty
Fish species found in Arroyo Catalan Grande:
- Gymnogeophagus sp. Catalan (Rhabdotus group)
- Gymno. sp. Catalan Grande (Gymnogenys group)
- Hoplias lacerdae
- Australoheros scitulum
- Pseudocorynopoma doriae
- Characidium cf. rachovi
- Hyphessobrycon sp. Tetra Roja
- Charax cf. gibbosus
- Crenicichla cf. lepidota
- C. scotti
- Symbranchus cf. marmoratus
- Oligosarcus sp.
- Hypoptomus sp. Red Dorsal
- Astyanax sp. Blue
- Rhineloricaria sp.
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