Interesting (about invasive Plecos in Nicaragua)

[William]

I was looking for plecos, Hypostomus plecostomus, for years before i was able to buy any here in Nicaragua. The are still very rare and rather expensive (USD 20-30, more than a days wage for 90% of the population).

Now i find this information:
"El Instituto Nicaragüense de la Pesca y Acuicultura (INPESCA ) reportó que en el año 2003 se dieron los primero avistamientos de este pez en las costas orientales del Gran Lago, identificándolo como: Hypostomus plecostomus. A la fecha se dice que es muy abundante en las costas de la isla de Ometepe y se le adjudican muchos males, incluso que perjudica el turismo local, a la economía de la pesca artesanal, de dañar la vegetación acuática y de ser una amenaza para la salud."
Source: https://pecesypescanicaragua.blogspo...nicaragua.html

For none Spanish speakers it says that the Nicaraguan institute for fishing and agriculture (INPESCA) found the first specimen of this species in the great lake (Lake Nicaragua) in the year 2003. Today it is very abundant a long the coast of Ometepe (vulcanic island in the lake. This might case a lot of problems to fishing, tourism, economy etc. (not a word by word translation)

Seems like it is time for me to go fishing because i want more. Save money and help the situation.

[AmazonJoe]

Happy hunting how will you collect by noodling in some holes? :P

[William]

To be completely honest. By paying local boys (and girls) 10 cordoba a fish, 100 for big ones ;-)

Can you noodle for plecos. (since they cant bite)
(and with caymans, bull sharks and different turtles in the same water the answer is no)

[AmazonJoe]

You could technically but even without teeth those spines make it almost impossible unless you know what your doing

[William]

Doing some more research and found this pic. Doesn't really look like a common hypostomus punctatus to me. Something seems wrong with the shape. Thoughts???

pleco.jpg

[AmazonJoe]

https://www.planetcatfish.com/common...&image_id=2861

Maybe this but also the specimen could of been dead for a bit and faded it looks like it could be a punctatus to me

[William]

It was catched in San Carlos a few years ago so i only got the picture to go by.

[AmazonJoe]

wow what a view saw this hotel on the map you attached up above



80846437.jpg

[William]

It is very beautiful on the island. There are a lot of Capuchin monkeys around.

[toddnbecka]

I saw a presentation some years ago about those being an invasive species in Mexico. They do quite a lot of damage to the native species both directly and indirectly. Sort of like sheep on a cattle range, they scour the vegetation completely, leaving little or nothing for other species to eat, and destroying the balance of the larger ecosystem. There was video footage of a large school of them swimming in a river. I was surprised at that, always had the impression they were a more solitary fish.