Where in the world live fishes in a tiny biotope all their live… - Aquapress

by Heiko Bleher – In a tiny stream, Sungai Mungkat, in Western Kalimantan near the border with Sarawak, Indonesia Heiko Bleher found in less than one square metre of water surface and hardly 30 cm deep (see red square) a community of more then 15 different fish species living together, probably all their life. Water parameters were pH 6.50, conductivity 31 µS/cm, temperature 24.8°C. The bottom consisted of sand, leaves, driftwood, bamboo, no aquatic vegetation. With such a natural biotope, from a small river, stream or creek, as well as from small lakes around the world – I want to show the fishes that live together in nature peacefully. This can give one an idea of how to place the correct species together in a perfect community aquarium – the species that know each other, their behaviour and biology …

_{Puntius everetti was described from Poeh, Sarawak state, Borneo, East Malaysia, north of here and looks very similar. This species is also a peaceful barb of hardly 7-8 cm TL}

_{Puntius lateristriga is as well a peaceful nice barb, but can grow to 10 cm Tl. Here was a juvenile}

_{Puntius sp. is possibly a undescribed species living in mimicry with the other two, also peaceful and small barb}

_{Rasbora sarawakensis}_{is also described from the Malaysian part of Borneo. Here were juveniles living with the very large adult of 8 cm TL. Again peaceful rasborine fishes}

^{Rasbora spilotaenia is only known from Sumatra, but this species looks similar, and also in it juvenile and adult stage, it has a very peculiar hard and mouth shape. Community fish}

_{Rasbora vulcanus is also only known from Sumatra, and this looks somewhat similar and depending on the reflection of the light it has amazing colours (10). Possibly a new Rasbora, but another peaceful small community fish}

_{Paracrossochilus acerus is only known from Borneo and a great algae eater}

_{Nemacheilus saravacensis is only known from Sarawak and possibly it is this species, a peaceful small loach}

_{Glyptothorax major, in another Borneo endemic (but said to be found elsewhere), a very nice catfish which needs flowing water, wood and sandy ground, as in this biotope}

_{Clarias teijsmanni, was also in this biotope and might wander to other parts, as it can also walk short distance over land and grows to 15 cm TL and possibly more}

_{Silurichthys marmoratus was described by NG & Ng from north of here, also in Sarawak. Possibly it is the same species. This one stays small, hardly reaches 10-12 cm TL}

_{Mastacembelus sp. I found only one in this biotope and cannot place it. But it also did not grow more than 10-12 cm TL}

_{This snakehead variant here is very beautiful and stays small about 15 cm TL}

_{Betta chini was described from northern Borneo, and looks somewhat similar. Living in the very shallow edges of this biotope. Probably also a mouth-brooder}

_{Hemirhamphodon pogonognathus is an amazing colourful belonid and would eat very tiny fry, but also does not grow large, hardly 12 cm TL}

_{This is the Sungai Mungkat, and}

_{… at this red square I found all these 15 different species living together, probably most of them all their live, as many had young …}

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