Exploring a creek within the Taquari river basin in the north of the state of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil, which is home to the famous Black Neon Tetra, Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi.
The habitat has been degraded thanks to the dumping of rubbish and construction materials after a bridge was rebuilt over the creek. The habitat is also surrounded by encroaching cattle ranches and soy farms, which contribute to the destruction of waterways through nutrient inflow, agrotoxins, the trampling of riverbanks, sedimentation and water extraction and diversion.
Thanks to recent rains, the water was at times cloudy, but still an an amazing place to be.
The fishes I managed to ID here include:
Aequidens cf. plagiozonatus
Ancestrorhynchus pantaneiro
Aphyocharax rathbuni
Apistogramma trifasciata
Astyanax lacustris
Brycon hilarii
Cichla sp. (introduced invasive)
Corydoras polystictus
Crenicichla lepidota
Cyphocharax cf. gillii
Hemigrammus cf. lunatus
Hemigrammus machadoi
Hemigrammus neptunus
Hemigrammus ulreyi
Hoplias cf. malabaricus
Hyphessobrycon eques
Hyphessobrycon herbertaxelrodi
Hypostomus cochliodon
Jupiaba acanthogaster
Leporinus sp.
Moenkahausa bonita
Moenkhausia foresti
Moenkhausia oligolepis
Myloplus sp.
Phenacogaster tegatus
Platydoras armatulus
Poptella paraguayensis
Potamorrhpahis eigenmanni
Psalidodon marionae
Satanoperca pappaterra
Serrapinnus caliurus
Serrapinnus kriegi
Steindachnerin cf. brevipinna
Steindachnerina cf. conspersa
Tetragonopterus argenteus
Trachelyopterus cf. galeatus
Aquatic plants found in this creek include:
Cabomba furcata
Eleocharis sp.
Ludwigia inclinata
Music: Ocea - Valante
