First Day Out Collecting In Panama

Ruth and I went out to three streams today with Gisela from the Smithsonian Marine Lab on Naos Island. She was able to borrow a 4WD truck from the Smithsonian, and the key to the famous Pipeline Road in Soberania National Park on the east side of the Panama Canal. It hasn't rained for several days which was good because that road would be impassable with any amount of rain. We collected ~40 Brachyrhaphis episcopi at Rio Macho and R. Mendoza, and ~40 of the closely related B. cascajalensis at R. Frijolito. It was hard work climbing down the surprisingly high banks at each creek's bridge, and wading down the creek using a Perfect Dipnet from Jonah's Aquarium to catch the fish. Both species are small livebearers, looking like Gambusia from North America but with some color. I put about 12 fish from each site in ethanol for possible future DNA work on host and parsites, and the remaining fish in fairly dilute formaldehyde to fix any parasites and the hosts too.

The following photo shows me and Gisela looking a net contents at Rio Macho.