|
Join Our Sponsored Forums |
||||||||
|
|
|||||||
|
New Species Found
Bloodfin
Tetra
The Caura River Basin, in the state of Bolivar, is an area of pristine tropical forest and waterways tucked away in the highlands, about 500 kilometres (300 miles) south-east of the Venezuelan capital Caracas. The 70-meter Salto Pará waterfall divides the Caura River into two biologically distinct zones. The Caura River Basin sits atop the Guayana Shield, a single massive geological formation that runs beneath northeastern South America. Formed more than two billion years ago, the shield supports the single most intact tropical wilderness area in the world. The Caura River is one of the greatest tributaries of the Orinoco River.
28 August 2003. A previously unknown species of bloodfin tetra, Aphyocharax Yekwana, one of 10 new species of freshwater fish discovered by scientists studying the Caura River Basin, an unspoiled jungle wilderness in southern Venezuela. The scientists announced their discoveries in Caracas on Thursday and called on the Venezuelan government to protect the area. CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Scientists studying an unspoiled jungle river wilderness in Venezuela have announced the discovery of 10 new fish species, including a red-tailed tiddler, a "punk" catfish with a spiky head and a piranha that eats fruit as well as flesh. They called on the Venezuelan government and international conservation bodies to protect the Caura River Basin in Bolivar state, a vast area of pristine tropical forest and waterways covering five percent of the surface of the oil-rich country. Conservationists fear encroachment by human settlement, as well as fishing, farming, mining and possible government hydroelectric projects, could destroy what they call one of the world's richest biodiversity "hotspots". "The Caura River Basin requires immediate and urgent protection as a wildlife reserve," said Antonio Machado, a zoologist from Venezuela's Central University who announced the new fish discoveries in Caracas on Thursday. Among the 10 new freshwater fish species logged was a tiny fish with a blood-red tail, a previously unknown variety of the Bloodfin Tetra family, which is popular with aquarium owners. This had been given the scientific name in Latin of Aphyocharax yekwanae in honour of the Ye'Kwana Indians who live among the Caura River Basin's flooded forests and waterways. "These indigenous people depend on the water," Machado said.
He said any attempt to divert or dam the river for hydro-power
development -- like the huge power dams on the eastern Caroni River that generate more than 70 percent of
Venezuela's electricity -- would reduce water levels and dry up
waterfalls. This would threaten hundreds of varieties of freshwater fish,
shrimps, crabs and aquatic plants. "They can do what they like on the Caroni, but they must leave the Caura alone," Machado said. Some Facts on the Bloodfin: Scientific Name
Aphyocharax anisitsi Other new and as yet unclassified species found
included a variety of tentacled armoured
catfish, whose tangle of spiky protuberances
on its mouth and forehead -- looking like a punk rocker's hairstyle -- has
earned it the name of "punk" fish. (Ancistrus sp) Also discovered was a new piranha, different in size and shape from other
known varieties of the South American flesh-eater. It supplemented
its meat diet by eating fruit from submerged trees, Machado said. A new
species of freshwater shrimp was also found. "BIOLOGICAL SWAT TEAMS"
In conjunction with Washington-based Conservation
International, he presented, after several years of exhaustive study, the
definitive findings of a three-week expedition that studied the biology of
the Caura River Basin in late 2000. Explaining the delay in
announcing the expedition results, Leeanne Alonso, a director at
Conservation International, told Reuters: "These scientific studies are a
lengthy process". The conservation group, which studies and protects the
world's natural wildernesses, calls its expeditions Rapid Assessment
Programs or RAPs in which "biological SWAT teams" of scientists swoop into
often unexplored regions by plane, helicopter or boat to assess their
ecological value. Machado said it was essential to preserve intact the
free-flowing watercourse of the (420-mile) 700-km Caura River, which is
one of the tributaries of the mighty Orinoco.
|
||||||||
|
All information on this site is provided by the webmaster and, should there be a pricing error, it is my fault and not the shop or its staff. Any prices marked on stock shown on these pages were correct at the time the image was taken. If you have a question regarding the site Click to email me Erdington Aquatics 97-99 Church Road Erdington Birmingham B24 9BE England Telephone: 0121 373 1100 |
||||||||
|
© aquatic-store.co.uk |
||||||||
