Salamanderfish question

[elephantnose3334]

One big problem with individuals trying conservation on a farm or whatever is that we have very short lifespans, compared to ages of the species we're destroying. Something that's been around for a few million years of change versus 80 or so human years? We need institutions to step up, so conservation can have continuity. Otherwise, we're like ants trying to keep tortoises.

But we see institutions being cut back and destroyed, at the whim of the very people who are denying climate change policies. Eventually, we'll be just another endangered species ourselves, if we don't manage to protect habitats (from us).

Clearly, I have a cheerful world view!

Hmm... I agree.

 

[Colin_T]

I see. The 'favourite oddball' post was the oldest one you posted about the Salamanderfish. When was the first time when you knew about the salamanderfish to the other members in detail?

I knew about the salamnderfish in the late 1980s-early 90s. I was collecting native fishes and had a couple of books about natives including one from Gerald Allen (field guide to freshwater fishes of south-west WA, I think it was). It had the salamanderfish in.

In the early 90s one of the ANGFA WA members (Graham Thompson) had been doing research on the salamanderfish and he gave me a copy of his research papers and a bucket of sand they collected when they collected some fish. The sand down there is interesting. It is a pale almost semi-transparent amber colour and lowers the pH of water to about 3.0. I never found any of the sand when I was collecting them but Graham and his team dug down to find the fish aestivating. I just got my fish from the water.

 

[elephantnose3334]

I knew about the salamnderfish in the late 1980s-early 90s. I was collecting native fishes and had a couple of books about natives including one from Gerald Allen (field guide to freshwater fishes of south-west WA, I think it was). It had the salamanderfish in.

In the early 90s one of the ANGFA WA members (Graham Thompson) had been doing research on the salamanderfish and he gave me a copy of his research papers and a bucket of sand they collected when they collected some fish. The sand down there is interesting. It is a pale almost semi-transparent amber colour and lowers the pH of water to about 3.0. I never found any of the sand when I was collecting them but Graham and his team dug down to find the fish aestivating. I just got my fish from the water.

Do you still catch and study the salamanderfish in your own free-time? I'd love to go on a salamanderfish expedition with you, but I wasn't born during the time and it's too far away from Perth. But I might want to gain more knowledge with you together.

 

[Colin_T]

I haven't been collecting for years and don't have any equipment nowadays (lost it in 2016 with everything else). I also don't have reliable transport and my health is failing so I doubt I will be doing any collecting before I die.