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Hi all,

I am new to this list and need some help with a fish id. The fish is from Panama the pacific slope and from a stream at about 4500 ft. these photos are terrible but the best I have been able to do to date. I have spent several hours on the internet and can't even get close. I have them in a 1500 gallon aquarium as the first residents and want to know a bit more about their habits. they were caught with line an hook with earthworms.

http://volcanbaru.com/aquarium/

Thanks

angelr

Hello Angelr,

Welcome to Fish Profiles!

I am a neighbor of yours located in the not so sunny Costa Rica and this site has helped me find some of the species in my country: http://fish.mongabay.com/data/Panama.htm

I've been looking around but haven't been able to find anything so far, maybe in a joint effort we can work it out. How big are the fish by the way?

Also would like to comment on the beautiful aquarium and panorama where you live at...It is such a biodiverse and pristine area.

Hopefully the link will help some, if not im sure you will find a lot of support, intrest and knowledge on behalf of the members of FP.

Welcome again,

James

Thanks for the welcome!

Locally they call this fish "lisa" and the ones I have are between 6 and 8 inches but the locals claim much bigger.

I have combed that web site for both Panama and Costa Rica and can't find anything like it.

I will take some better photos as soon as I can. This tank must have 6 big fish and over 100 little fish and I only see any of them now and then.

Angel

Loads of fish have the common name lisa, thanks to people basically not having a clue, but your fish might be a Laemolyta taeniata .

Try checking this list if that isnt the one

http://www.fishbase.org/ComNames/CommonNameSearchList.php

The name "lisa" is widely used in our countries to denote any sardine-looking type fish, salt or freshwater, so it leads us to any Characin, and the gender Laemolyta seems to be right on the nose.

As far as species go, it will be a matter of analyzing the fish itself and comparing it with the catalogued specimens of that gender.

Volcan Baru is located on the water divisory line if I'm not mistaken...Which side does the river where you found them drain to: Atlantic or Pacific? And what main river or basin is it tributary of?

Sincerely intrested,

James

Hi All,

I am leaning towards Agonostomus monticola, mountain mullet.

http://filaman.ifm-geomar.de/Summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=1085&CFID=7688336&CFTOKEN=88411012

I have spent most of my day looking at these fish in the tank and on the web. They became quite active at around 5 PM and I could see them feeding on the string algae. I live in Volcan, Chiriqui and these were caught in a creek called Barriles on the Pacific water shed.

I am going to catch one and take pictures of it out of the water. It might be the only way since the aquarium is rather dark from the number of plant I have in it.

Angel

I think that it could be that mullet instead of the other. When i first saw the picture I thought it was a mullet, but in the us Mullet are saltwater or fresh if its near a body of saltwater. So I ruled that out because your in the mountains, but it does look like its in the same family as mullet.

-Vincent

The famous Tepemechin. They are very popular in our waterways since they grow to a large size and are considered very good food by the locals.

People are even starting to breed them in captivity for commercial purposes, trying to find a local alternative to the usual tilapia and trout foreign species that are being bred commercialy for food.

Will be looking forward to seeing that close up shot... Make sure he smiles pretty for the camera!

All the best,

James