The natural habitat of the pike cichlid
The most beautiful and yet most trusting fish in the wild were the Crenicichla species, or pike cichlids. But their name also says it all: They eat anything that is about half their body length. In their natural habitats, they can only be seen living peacefully with other large fish such as banded cichlids and large Leporinus tetras. The habitats themselves look very different. Sometimes you can see over 20 Crenicichla living in harmony, with no major disputes, at a depth of just 50 cm under a tree trunk lying in the water. Sometimes you’ll see some at a depth of eight metres between stones or wood. But they are never found in open water, and very rarely over sandy areas. This means that these predators are always seeking cover from even larger predators, presumably the much larger predatory catfish. Very occasionally we saw single catfish, resting at greater depths on sandy areas. It was very noticeable during our Crenicichla observations that the animals were hardly ever alone or in pairs. Had they been characins, I would have called them schooling fish. However, as there is a hierarchy within the Crenicichla, these were not shoals, but groups of animals. It’s like a pack, in which there is a social hierarchy.
JBL Expedition - Research & Adventure
Since 2001, the JBL research team has been organising expeditions to the home of aquarium and terrarium animals in order to learn more about their habitats and to be able to breed more species by optimising the aquariums and terrariums. This reduces the number of species taken from the wild, even though it has been proven that capturing the animals does not pose any threat to the populations. Biotope analyses include light measurements (lux, UV-A & UV-B and PAR value), water analyses (pH; KH, GH, O2, conductance, temperature, Fe, K, salinity & Ca & Mg in seawater), feeding trials, behavioural observations, nocturnal observations and documentation of the habitats in photos and videos. One to two years before the start of the expedition, JBL releases a call for applications to nature enthusiasts on its website. All initial applicants are selected by lot. In the event of cancellations, repeaters then move up. The JBL expeditions offer great opportunities to observe fish and invertebrates undisturbed in their biotopes while snorkelling. Of course, this is only possible in clearwater and blackwater. Whitewater, i.e. rivers often coming from the mountains, are usually unsuitable due to their low visibility. The itinerary is organised in such a way that each participant has as much time as possible to observe animals within their own area of interest. Indigenous people usually help us find the right locations for the fish, e.g. altums or freshwater rays. Some expeditions are relatively inexpensive to organise, others are significantly more expensive due to complicated travel routes or a lack of infrastructure. JBL passes on the price of the trip from the co-operating travel agency to the participants without any surcharge. Almost everyone who has been on a trip before signs up for further expeditions. Everyone seems to really enjoy them …
The WILD NATURE AQUARIUM format
WILD NATURE AQUARIUM is a new format from JBL, in which we illustrate the natural habitats of ornamental fish in short documentaries. We have been flooded with enquiries as to whether it would be possible to prepare and publish our JBL expedition recordings in a more comprehensive format. The result is now the new documentary series WILD NATURE AQUARIUM. From now on, at regular intervals, we will be presenting the biotopes and home areas of a variety of fish species. Immerse yourself in this underwater world and learn some exciting facts about ornamental fish!
