Until he passed away in February 2004, Derek Lambert was a well known aquarist in
the U.K. and editor of the monthly magazine Today's Fishkeeper. An expert in livebearing
fish, Derek made many trips to see these particular fish in their natural habitats, and
was Chairman of the U.K. based Viviparous (Livebearer Information Service) Organisation.
Further details of the above Organisation can be found on a very comprehensive
web-site at www.viviparous.org.uk or
through David Marshall (who is a member of the Management Team) at the contact address
above.
An Aquarist's Sojourn in Jamaica
By Derek Lambert
Originally published in Viviparous Magazine No.54
and the June 2003 edition of Ryedale Reporter, Ryedale Aquarist Society,
Yorkshire, England.
Aquarticles
My love affair with Jamaica started over 20 years ago when I visited that
beautiful Caribbean island for the first time. I have to admit it wasn't my first choice,
I originally wanted to visit Cuba which had just opened up for holiday packages, but I was
going on holiday with Stephen, my brother, who was not happy about visiting a communist
country and loved reggae music, so Jamaica was the obvious choice.
This was my first visit to a tropical country and even now many years on and many trips
later I can still vividly recall the blast of heat which hit me as I stepped out from the
plane. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon and the palm trees just outside the airport
building were waving in the gentle breeze. As we headed over to the coach for the transfer
to our hotel a rather shifty customer sidled up to us and asked if we "wanted a
smoke". Steve said that we didn't smoke and briskly walked on. It took a few
more encounters before he believed it wasn't tobacco on offer!
Once settled in our hotel we set out to explore the town of Ocho Rios. In those days
there was not much to it in terms of night life nor hotels. It did have a large craft
market which had grown up mainly because of the regular cruise ships which called into
port there. Having just returned from there, it is difficult to reconcile the huge town
that is modern Ocho Rios with my recollections of 22 years ago.
As usual we did the organised trips on offer and had a great holiday, but I was there
for more than just that. I was there to do some fish collecting. My main target was Gambusia
melapleura, which up to that time had only been a picture in a German book to me. Not
being able to drive was obviously a major hassle, but Steve wanted to visit Negril beach
and see more of the island than just the tourist spots, so we hired a car and headed off
into the unknown. In the mountain villages people pointed and shouted out "Heh
whitey" as we drove by.
Our route was to take us over the mountains to the other side of the island and
Kingston. We fished in several rivers including the Rio Cobra which produced a brilliant
blue Gambusia with red finnage. It turned out to be a form of Gambusia
puncticulata which lost the lovely colour in captivity.
Next day we headed out to my primary objective - Bluefields. This required a long drive
down the coast to Montego Bay and then inland towards the other side of the island before
turning back along the coast to Bluefields. It was going to be a long drive and I have to
admit Steve was none too keen on going so far. I assured him that there were other places
where Gambusia melapleura comes from so we might catch it before having to go all
that way.
Once past Montego Bay and heading across the island we came to the Great River. Here we
stopped and after an hour of fishing I had ten small Gambusia melapleura. They
were smaller than I really wanted but it was the best I could do. We did travel on that
day but turned about long before we reached Bluefields.
Now we need to fast forward 10 years. Throughout that decade we had
maintained the Great River collection of Gambusia melapleura. They had been
closely inbred but looked just as good as the first wild caught fish, although after more
than twenty generations it was difficult to recollect. Certainly brood numbers had held up
and we were winning shows with adult fish gaining 92 points out of 100 on more than one
occasion.
Then I saw an article on Chiropeoides pengelleyi in TFH magazine. They looked
stunning (for a killifish) and came from Black River in Jamaica. I wanted some and after a
lot of phone calls came to the conclusion that I would have to go and collect them myself
if I was going to have them.
So, 1991 saw Pat, Steve and myself heading out to Jamaica. This time with two
fishkeepers on the trip and one of them able to drive, we could do a little more fishing.
Top of the list was to do some comparisons with our highly inbred captive stock of Gambusia
melapleura and the wild fish from Great River. This proved very interesting because
not only were the wild fish not as large or robust as our captive stock but they tended to
drop smaller broods as well.
Next up was Black River. Apart from several species of killifish this is also the type
locality of Limia caudofasciata which has since become a synonym of Limia
melanogaster. I was interested to see what these fish looked like in the wild. When
we caught the first ones I did a double take - no black belly! Maybe Limia
caudofasciata should be a valid species if they look so very different? In fact a few
weeks back in captivity and the full Black-bellied Limia coloration developed.
The same has happened with those I just collected. Why, I have no idea, I am just very
pleased that they do, since this is one of the most attractive Limias in the hobby.
With our main objectives fulfilled we decided not to bother visiting Bluefields - after
all it was such a long way over to that part of the island and we already had the Gambusia
melapleura we wanted.
Now we fast forward another 12 years to this year's holiday (2003). By
now my Gambusia melapleura strain had been lost in captivity (we dropped it a few
years ago and regretted it ever since). Pat and I had just cleared out all the fish we
kept to make money (breeding fish was originally a major part of my income), and returned
the set-up to a large hobby. Our much reduced set-up of 80 tanks could now be devoted to
the fish we love and Gambusia melapleura was one of them.
Time to return to Jamaica and this time visit Bluefields. I was going to be in the
driving seat and nothing was going to stop me this time. Except the weather and my car
back in England did have a damn good try! The car failed its MOT just over a week before I
was due to fly out. Apart from costing a fortune to repair, it wouldn't be ready until the
next day. I took the bus home, walked round the corner towards my house, slipped on the
ice and broke my wrist!
The hospital put a fibreglass cast on instead of the usual plaster one, so I could at
least fly out to Jamaica, but driving a car was definitely out. Instead I hired a driver
for the day and headed off towards Bluefields. Here now I will hand over to Phillip Gosse
who discovered Gambusia melapleura and describes this part of Jamaica so much
better than I can. The fact that he wrote his account in 1844 and my visit was in 2003
makes little difference, the place is more populous and things have certainly changed but
the underlying beauty of this lovely part of Jamaica is still present.
"When morning broke, it found us in the midst of the broad bay, that stretched
in a wide semicircle before us. Under a gentle breeze we were running in, and I had
opportunity to admire the lovely scene. The verdant Guinea-grass pieces and pastures of
Bluefields and the pens around, sloped up from the sea, studded with white houses that
gleamed in the rising sun. Further to the eastward lay the park like estate of Mount
Edgecumbe, its greensward varied with groves and clumps of graceful Pimento. Behind, rose
the mighty rampart of the Bluefields ridge, rising into one conical peak of half a mile
height, and others of less elevation, and jutting out into the bay in a bold promontory,
covered, from the rounded summit to the very foot upon the sea-beach, with dark and dense
primeval forest. The ship's cutter was put at my service, and manned to row me across the
bay. Kind friends were waiting for me on the beach, and the hospitable roof of Bluefields
soon received me, and became my home thenceforward as long as I remained in the island, a
period of eighteen months."
Throughout this period Phillip collected plants and animals of all kinds. Many new
species were discovered and in 1851 twenty four of them (including Gambusia melapleura)
were described in the paper entitled "A naturalists sojourn in Jamaica". It is
easy to think of "papers" as little more than a few sheets stapled together or
an article published in some scientific publication. This paper is in fact a book over 500
pages long and details his trip from its very outset with his departure from London on the
20th October 1844 until his return on the 5th August 1846. It makes fascinating reading
and if ever you get the chance to buy or borrow a copy of this book grab it with both
hands.
Now I want to hand you back to Phillip because he will tell you about Bluefields River
and the fish he caught there. Be assured nothing has changed today apart from lots of
Jamaicans coming down to wash their cars and have a picnic on a Sunday afternoon.
"To have a permanent supply of clear, pure water is a very important advantage
in a climate, where, during the long droughts, unmitigated by a single shower, the
pastures become burned up, cattle languish for want of grass as well as water. No place is
better off in this respect than Bluefields; a rivulet of the most cool and sparkling water
running with many meanderings, through its whole extent. In truth it is a romantic little
stream. Here it dilates into broad but shallow pools; there, confined between narrow
banks, it rushes like an arrow in a black and deep rapid; now it brawls among the rolling
pebbles; then it pours over a succession of round terraced rocks; and anon falls in a
sheet over a little precipice, a Niagara in miniature."
Here Phillip discovered several new species of fish and crustacea. Of interest to us is
his description of Gambusia melapleura.
"Another fish of still more minute dimensions, but of remarkable beauty, is
also numerous in the basin of the waterfall, and all along the stream.The locals call it
Tickiticky, a term formed like our word Stickleback (the initial 'S' being omitted in
local pronunciation before another consonant) and alluding to the strong spine in the anal
(the males gonopodium as we call it today). All along the margins of the rivulet,
particularly where a coarse grass grows in the shallows, and shoots its pointed blade-tips
above the surface, the Tickiticky is numerous , herding together in little parties of
half-a-dozen, or dozen, of various sizes, but none exceeding two inches in length. They
are active and amusing; and leap out of the water, if pursued , with great vigour. It is a
beautiful little fish."
Apart from the Jamaicans washing their cars (they would have been washing their clothes
in those days) nothing has changed. The Tickiticky still herd together in little parties
and jump clean out of the water if frightened. His reference to it being a beautiful
little fish is so true. Few other fish have compared to catching a net full of these
Gambusias. They shimmer blue in the bottom of the net while their lemon yellow fins shine
out at you. Truly a beautiful little fish.
My driver was also taken with the place and the fish. It turned out Keith's youngest
son was an enthusiastic fish keeper with an aquarium of his own. He intends to return with
his whole family for a picnic and a little fish collecting of their own!
The only aspect of Phillip's description of Bluefields and the fish he found there that
I would disagree with was his statement that none grew larger than 2 inches (5 cm). We
caught large females close to 8 cm in body length! These were the exception rather than
the rule but it does show what these beautiful fish can achieve.
On our return journey towards Ocho Rios we passed over the Great River, source of our
original Gambusia melapleura. Did we stop? No way! we had what we came for, it's
just a shame it took me 22 years to visit one of the most beautiful fish collecting sites
I have ever visited and catch the most gorgeous Gambusia melapleura I have ever
seen!
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