Collecting In Valparai

[Silurus]

The stream doesn't look like typical Glyptothorax habitat, which is probably why you didn't get any more in your subsequent visit. Based on my experience with the genus, they are seldom found in such heavily vegetated streams. The only exception I know is G. callopterus, which can be found in lowland forested streams (but usually not heavily populated with aquatic plants).
The presence of mud/fine silt would also discourage Glyptothorax. My guess is that the fish were flushed from further upstream.

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

I ve always imagined the Glyptothorax habitat to be a raging hillstream or something similar so collecting 'em here was quite a surprise for me. Plus Beta collected at the same spot last year and he didn come across any Glyptothorax either.

Im guessing the same can be said of the Homaloptera and the Travanvoria too.
Will try to move further upstream the next time for sure.

A few doubts pertaining to South Indian Glypothorax :

i) Their max size seems to be much smaller than any others (even North Indian ones). Is this right???

ii) Are their any major differences in the adhesive apparatus of these guys when compared to others???? Weaker???

[Silurus]

i) I don't think the South Indian Glyptothorax are any smaller than their northern brethren. Some northern Indian Glyptothorax can be quite small (e.g. G. pectinopterus).

ii) The adhesive apparatus seems to be about as well-developed as most Glyptothorax. Only species living in less torrential habitats (e.g. G. callopterus) appear to have fewer skin folds in the adhesive apparatus. This is also true for the northern Indian species with a spindle-shaped body (e.g. G. botius and G. telchitta), but these two species have a whole bunch of internal anatomical differences from other Glyptothorax (at one stage I was even tempted to put these two in their own genus).

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

Thanks for clarifying that HH. I had assumed the southern ones are smaller.

Il update this thread if I get my hands on more pics or if I make another trip there.

[L number Banana, posts: 2140]

Thanks Shovelnose! What a fabulous write up. The fish are stunning but I can't help going back to that lush and sunny picture near the start, just want to drape myself over a hot rock there and soak it all in like a crazy lizard. Minus 14c here right now.

I'm also eager to see Danio pics when you get them.

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

Thanks. Will add more pics when I get 'em. Went on another trip and sighted some awesome looking Danios. No pics were possible though.

[lalramliana, posts: 32]

Nice pics, you are lucky that you have beautiful fishes around you, I wish i can collect those

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

You have the true beauties swimming around in streams near your house Lal. All I have near my house are Tilapia and then, some more Tilapias.

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

Made another small trip to this location to see if we could find the Glyptothorax again. Since Valparai is in the border of Kerala and Tamil Nadu, it receives extremely heavy rainfall almost continuously between June (beginning of Kerala monsoon) to December (end of Tamil Nadu monsoon).

There was a lot of chance that this trip could have been poured out but we decided to go ahead anyways.

We reached the foothills at around 8 am and started the long climb ahead. The roads here are good but there are 40 hair pin bends on the way to the top. So yes, it took a while.



A small section of the mist filled road on the way. This was at around 9 am.

We decided to head straight to Shekkalmudi as this place was where all the exciting fish were collected on both the previous trips.









The spot had lost most of the Lagenandra on the banks. There were small bunches in the stream itself. The water level itself had not risen at all. The flow though, had increased greatly and there were a lot more rocks. This gave me high hopes of finding the fish here.

But yes, the fish did me in sideways as usual. No Glyptothorax or Homaloptera or Bhavania were collected in this spot.

The fish collected were Devario malabricus, Puntius fasciatus, Garra Sp. and a Mesonemacheilus Sp. M.herrei is what we have collected here in the past but the specimen collected this time around is too small to make out an ID. P.fasciatus were the most prominent fish this time. Every swipe bought out atleast 2 or 3 of 'em.

No Barilius this time around either. Just as we were scouting around, we realized the estate workers were spraying pesticide on the tea plantations. It had been raining heavily here too. So I guess the missing fish could be attributed to this in addition to the change in seasons.



A lovely D.malabricus.


We then headed to a second spot which yielded only P.fasciatus. I have always wanted to follow the Glyptothorax stream further uphill and see where it originates as HH had pointed out that these fish might have been flushed downstream.

After asking around, we came to know that the stream originated in the core of the forest and there was a path till the edge of the forest.

Heading upstream, we found the same stream flowing with greater vigour. Just as we were choosing the best spot to collect in, we got our second slap in the face. A bunch of forest rangers turned up and started questioning us.

Luckily, their suspicion was short lived but they shooed us away from here in a polite manner. There is a whole bunch of smuggling and poaching going on here and we felt it was best we didn't argue with 'em and move on.

So we decided to head down and check out a stream at the base of the hills.

Some pics en route.







The plantations.







The best thing that happened on the trip for me. My first upclose encounter with a Nilgiri Tahr (Nilgiritragus hylocrius),the state animal of Tamil Nadu.





The view en route.

Fourty more bends later, we were back downhill, literally. I frankly had no expectations from this spot at all since it was at the base of the hills. I really didn't expect to see a fast flowing stream. I expected a wussy plant laden stream with shrimps and Killies and soap covers.

But I was way off mark. The spot was beautiful, isolated and the water was really cold!!!! An excellent combination if you have my taste in fish!!!!!







The spot.


The catch here was Puntius fasciatus (getting on my nerves now. All the "Oooooh!!! Look at the colours" remarks changed to "Damn vermins!!!! ), a Garra Sp, and a Travancoria/Bhavania Sp.



Prime male P.fasciatus.



Travancoria/Bhavania. Havent had a chance to take a closer look at specimens as I didn't bring any back. Expecting a clearer video from a friend who took 'em home.

There were small congregations of these hillstream loaches. Most of these were around an inch in length.

I love loaches but I was after cats!!!! This stream fell down 'bout a hundred feet and then flowed evenly. There was more current there plus lotsa shade too. The climb down wasn't easy at all though.







We had to slide down for most parts. Me sit upon isn't too pleased with what I had to put it through. Especially after we encountered thorny shrubs while sliding down.

This spot had more hillstream loaches. Just as we were giving up, I spotted a small loach which looked like something from Nemacheilinae.
Everytime I tried to catch it, it would bury itself. This excited me even more as the last time this happened, I had a Nemachilichthys Sp in my net.

So I asked a friend to come down with a torch (water proof and really useful). Fifteen mintues later, the torch was put to use and we sighted the loach again.

Once it buried itself, I lifted it up with the sand and guess what it turned out to be. An effing Lepidocephalichthys thermalis!!!! All the effort, blood shed, thorns in naughty places to catch a loach which we could have collected 'bout five minutes away from any of our homes!!!!

It was really dark by this time and we decided to call it quits. Plus this area had routine sightings of elephants,leopards and slender loris in the nights. I really don't mind the third one but the first two after sunlight doesn't sound like a date I wouldn't enjoy at all.

I have since (this trip happened the day before) asked around for permission and it looks like there is a bright chance that another trip is likely to happen end of this year with permission hopefully.

Till then, its just staring at pics of the Anamalai Hills.

[Shovelnose, posts: 841]

A few pics of the Balitorid taken by my friend Krishna in his aquaria.