Wild Singapore Pt 3

Field Trip 7 October 2007Casual trip on a splenden catching trip. One of the last frontier where wild betta still survived. The croaking gourami thrived here. In fact it's one of the biggest I have ever seen from those many trips. Possibly the food source here is plentiful

Some of the flora is simply beautiful to me. Never seen them before cos we live out of kampong some 30 odd years already. Enjoy the view




Mushroom growing on a fallen tree across the stream






A small stream and the main waterways

Road leading to the spenden habitat and biotopes



Some flora in splenden country
Star of the show, Singapore wild betta Splenden. Collected a few pieces

This is an overdue update after a hobbyist enquired on the Singapore Splenden.
This species was collected from an unused plot of land which previously seems like a small village (kampong in Malay language). The splenden was collected in a Military occupied place and this was actually out of bound. As I was only surveying, I figured it wasn't any harm taking a look. I can say from the surrounding, the habitat has been as it was at least 5-10 years of untouch human interferrence.

By Dec 2007, the splendens have grown, matured sexually and ready to breed. I managed to get a batch of fries from this few collected. The male is slightly different from the Imbellis collected, the anal fin is almost red all over whereas the Imbellis is more turquoise blue and the red distincrt anal tip.

Some pictures of the male and bubble nest

Hello Suparat. Hope you like those pictures. Thanks for viewing

Field Trip 6 Oct 2007, Pontian

Short trip to Pontain. Target fish is Betta Pulchra. This is the 3rd trip to Pontian and last 2 trips did not find the Pulchra. After some research, finally zoom in on the location. The location covers a small Kampong (village) ranging over a 5 km stretch of road. The first location only yielded Bellica. Got about 7 pieces in a single location. Very promising.



Bellica biotope and one in the net


See the tree on the left of vehicle with bird nest and a close up shot.

Oh. forget to mentioned that release back to the wild were at least 20 pieces of rasboras and 3 climbing perch


Move on the another location and saw a small black water stream over a plantation. First scoop, a juvenile betta. Thought it was a Bellica but on closer examination, it was a pugnax like fish. We know that pugnax has never been found in black water so it should be the pulchra. The biggest specimen at 6.5 to 7.0cm confirms that the betta is actually pulchra. Most annoying were the mosquitoes. About an hour there at most, we had almost 18 pieces, mostly juveniles. Question was where are the adult? The small stream branch into a main drainage and I believe, most of the good adult pulchra are in. Happy with the catch. hehe.

Anyway, had to move due to the rain, spoilt the show as it was drizzling quite heavily and thunder could be heard nearby. Enough la.

Photo taken after arrival


Stabalize after a day. Kept in ketapang water, pH 5.5


Unusual mosses.


On the way back, got a couple of Pugnax from Gelan Patah. This particular male is very coulourful compared to most of the pugnax caught

Funny moment witnessed during trip

1. Plastic bottle as frontage advertisement for recycling plastic bottles
2. Nasi Kelabu (Blue Rice) in Kelantan


3. Male Coffee
4. Aircraft needs drinking water??


5. Bonnetless car - actually driven around Kuching city
6. Intruder beware

7. Pizza anyone? Johor Baru immigration

8. Unconventional traffic light

9. Loving?

10. Conventional mode of transportation

737 Gear up

Kuching, 28 June - 1 July 2007

Short trip to look for betta taeniata. Got a local there selling the betta Rubra and many wild bettas. First thing was to get hold of a rented car. RM90 a day. Nothing to complaint for a car that already drove 300k plus kilometre.

Met this local guy(Haji Badaruddin) and we followed them for a betta field trip collecting crypte off Serian, a small town call Balai Ringin. It is said to have Brownorum but we didn't catch any. We proceed to this place in Serian to collect Betta Taeniata up a waterfall! Surprising to have a betta in this part of the waterfall which I estimate at least 500m from ground level. We had to climb a foothill which obviously were use by the locals before.

Got about 3 pieces of Betta Taeniata,

Iban

Wild Singapore Pt 2

16 June 2007, went to hunt for the pugnax in the local stream. Parked the car some distance from the location and we had to make the entire field trip on foot, crossing man-made barricade. What we fear are the rangers. The fishes were forest snakehead, rasbora and of course betta pugnax. In the open pool, we can actually see them. We use the nets on shallow stream and the fishing rod made from twig and a string with rubber band to tie the worm. Incredibly when the pugnax actually bit it doesn't let go that easily and pulling it up was easy.