COLLECTING IN TRINIDAD
1998
Text and Photo by: Alf Stalsberg
To start with the beginning. The trip took place in the end of September to the 22nd. October 1998. We started out with a couple of days on Trinidad first, because I wanted to see if I could collect the REAL Aequidens pulcher. Now, later I think I should have spent more time on Trinidad. But, done is done. We came to Port of Spain in the evening, and after an hour, at least, waiting to get through the immigration and customs we were assault by taxidrivers. Everybody wanted to drive us to down town Port of Spain, and everybody had a special Hotel for us.
When we got to this "especial Hotel"(name Trin-Bago) and accepted the price, we could go downstairs to a Chinese Restaurant for some food and not to forget cold beer. When you have been waiting in the line, to get through immigration, customs, and argue with the Porter and then the taxi driver and later found out that you paid the Porter in US$ instead of Trinidad dollar, then you deserve a couple of cold beers.
After breakfast the next morning we needed a car. And it had to be a small bus at least, with all the baggage we had we could not settle for less. We were lucky, we got an eight seat van, and it was NOT to big. Can you a imagine me a little nervous!! Well I was, because I had never driven a car on the left side of the road, and with steering column gear. After a couple of times I manage to shift gear, even if it sounds like I was brushing the toothed wheel. It does not sound very well, but we should not have the car more than two days, so we manage.
We looked at the map to decide where to go. We decided to drive the Eastern Main Road, because it look like this road would cross several rivers and streams that could be interesting to us. We did not go very far befor we saw a small river that we decide to take a look at. The river is before we get to the town Arima. We took with us plastic bags, cast net, small dip net, Tetra test set, cameras and then we were ready.
The water was clear, but there was a lot of garbage in the river and at the riverside, people had just trhown it down the hill. So I decide not use the swim mask and dive in the water. I'm not sissy, but this was in the beginning of the trip and I had four more weeks to go. I did not want to end up on a hospital to pump out the stomach so early.
We collected some Tetras, Hypostomus ?
Aequidens pulcher,
.
Guppy and Ancistrus sp.
After taking water sample, the temperature, the position and putting our plastic bags with fish into the styrofoam box, we were ready for the next biotop. The water temperature was about 25* C, pH 7,5, dH 4, kH 7 and Nitrit 20,1> , the mS was 270 and the air temperature was 31*C. The date was 29th. September 1998 and the position was 10* 37' 69" N and 61* 19' 38" W. The next biotop came after we passed a small town called ARIMA. But before we came to the next biotop we decide to have some lunch, okay, something cold to drink too!
To the next biotop it was about 6 km. east of the town Arima, and about 3 km. before Valencia. This small river did not have much water, so we just used our dipnet to catch fish that was swimming at the surface. This was mostly Gyppy and we got some Tetras too.
I decide to walk a little higher up in the river, but did not catch anything else, so I decide to take a short cut back to the car and then I came across a very small pond. Well, I never pass a pond without checking it out, and here I found Guppy, some Tetras and a Rivulus type, this was very nice.
Water temp.was 25*C., pH 5,5- dH 3,- kH 0 and mS 90. We was checking other rivers too, but nothing new so we continue, driving up to the north coast to a place called Toco. There was no Hotels there but we were lucky, because there was a house with apartments, and they were for sale. We was not interested in buying anything, but the lady at the kiosk told me that we could rent one of the flat, and that was perfect for us.
We had all the equipment necessary to camp anywhere, but now we got beds and a roof over our heads. Perfect. But we decide to drive "down town" Toco??, to buy beer for the supper. The next day we started on the road back to Port of Spain, we had to find a place to stay for the night and we got rooms at the Airport Hotel. Before we got that far we found a small Creek and I said lets check this one we might find Killis, and we did.
The photos is not very good, I will try to take some better photo here at home, but they will at least give you an idea how the fish look like. It might be "Rivulus hartii"
The water temperature was 27,4*C. - pH 6- dH 7 - kH 4 - mS 780 and Nitrite less than 0,1> the air temperature was 32,5*C. The position was 10 * 45' 64" N and 60* 57' 28" W
Toco
biotope where we collect (I think) Rivulus hartii.
So this was a short story from Trinidad.
Alf