In April-May 2007 I was able to spend some days at the Rio São Francisco relishing the astonishing and amazing fauna and flora living along this huge river system. Due to my unfortunately rather limited time and therefore tight schedule I concentrated on the Plan Alto section of the Rio São Francisco - located in the states of Bahia and Minas Gerais between Brasilia, Bom Jesus da Lapa, Montes Claros and Patos de Minas. The selected area could be identified as a part of the river’s middle stream. I have chosen this area, because more than 20 Simpsonichthys and at least 7 Cynolebias species are reported to dwell there - among those my personal favorites Simpsonichthys hellneri and S. fulminantis. Simpsonichthys fulminantis populates ponds around Guanambi which was a little out off the bounds, so I decided to go for S. hellneri. My objective was to catch S. hellneri at it’s terra typica (TT) situated between Manga and Itacarambi on the river’s left bank.

View in northern direction from the bridge spanned over the majestic Rio São Francisco. The Bom Jesus da Lapa section is considered to be the river’s middle stream. 

On the right side you can spot the suburbans of Bom Jesus da Lapa.

E-BR 01-07: The first biotope was rather specious. The habitat was a flooded area on the right bank of the river heading southern located right hand. Characids were predominant.

Leporinus bahiensis seem to be rather rare. This was the only specimen caught. There is only little known about L. bahiensis including aquarium maintenance although this coloration and body pattern is quite attractive.

The biotope E-BR 02-07 was a flooded area with a bank full of blossoming Echinodorus. The ichthyofauna was very similar to E-BR 01-07.

Moenkhausia costae is really appealing. The diagonal black stripe serves as a signal in the swarm. I wonder why this species does not belong to the common aquarium fishes. So far, I haven’t encountered this species in the ornamental fish trade. It is possibly sensitive to stress. However, in the biotopes E-BR 01-07 and 02-07 it was abundant.

This attractive Hemigrammus is probably an undescribed species.

Tetragonopterus chalceus is well known as a ornamental fish which is able to survive worst keeping conditions. Thus is suitable for absolute beginners in the hobby.

Cynolebias perforatus is a predatory annual killifish. The fact that the quantity of tadpoles was comparatively low can be reflected to the presence of Cynolebias. They are also doing a ‘good job’ on the syntope Simpsonichthys.

Watch the size of this juvenile Cynolebias perforatus - like a baby carpe. This feeding machine is rather well conditioned.

This pictures shows pretty well the coloration of the water - the deep sight is tends to zero.

Simpsonichthys flavicaudatus can be told apart from S. flagellatus in less vertical stripes over the flanks and ochre coloration in the unpaired fins.

The Rio das Rans strain of Simpsonichthys flavicaudatus is supposed to be the one with the most southern occurence. Then there is gap in the distribution of annual Cyprinodontifomes followed by habitats populated by S. flagellatus.

Caught males showed wonderful finnage extensions. Watch the fantastic anal fin!

Female Simpsonichthys flavicaudatus showed the same characteristic stripe pattern on the flanks. Noteworthy are the sharp endings of dorsal and anal fins in females.

I arrived late in the dark in Malhada. My map clearly indicated a bridge spanned over the Rio connecting Malhada with Carinhanha on the left bank. My plan was to take the road from Carinhanha to Manga. After searching the brigde for more than one hour locals told me there is no bridge yet. It’s in construction phase, but not ready yet (see picture). They recommended to take the ferry. So I took a very adventurous ferry to Carinhanha. I spent the night in a pousada in Carinhanha. The next morning I spend another hour searching the connection to Manga. In fact there is no; I asked half the inhabitants of Carinhanha, finally I stopped a heavily armed police car (policia militar). The only answer was: ‘A balsa’ = The ferry back to Malhada heading southern!

Lesson learned: Don’t trust Brazilian maps!

E-BR 04-07 is a temporary flooded area on the right bank of the river in the state of Bahia.

Triportheus guentheri was also trapped in the temporary pool waiting for the rainy season.

Hemigrammus marginatus E-BR 04-07

Pimelodus fur E-BR 04-07 complained loudly about the caught - sounds a bit like a pig.

Eigenmannia virescens E-BR 04-07 was the only knife fish species I caught. It’s commonly known among aquarium hobbyists.

The Rio Verde Grande (E-BR 08-07) determines the borderline between the states of Bahia in the north and Minas Gerais in the south. This is a view in eastern direction.The most fabulous habitat I encountered during this trip.

The Rio Verde Grande is a clear water stream with moderate to high current.

Brachychalcinus orbicularis is actually well known in the ornamental fish trade, but not frequently kept due to it’s poor coloration. The specimens caught in E-BR 08-07 were extrordinarily beautiful. Especially the males possessed citrus yellowish coloration and extended finnages.

Brachychalcinus orbicularis was so abundant, that some simple draughts through the shallow water unveiled plenty of individuals.

This habitat lies on the Fazenda Santa Rita. The owner is called Joaquin. Please ask him for fishing permission.

This is a female Simpsonichthys hellneri from it’s TT (E-BR 11-07). Unfortunately I was not able to catch males. Even after one hour at the habitat; the quite disappointing result was three adult females, but no males, juveniles or fry. 

The outcome was quite desillusioning. The found of a head of Cynolebias perforatus at E-BR 11-07 indicated at least the presence of another Cyprinodontiformes species.

At least two types of tadpoles populated the pond. One was rather fragile, the other was brawny and colorful.

Actually I was not after riverine species, but a promising fishing spot must be investigated. This is the Rio Cotovelo, a clear water tributary to the Rio das Velhas with moderate current.

Species allocated in the genus Astyanax are difficult to determine; this should be A. rivularis from E-BR 15-07.

Apareiodon ibitiensis is a benthic characide living among the gravel pebbles in the rapids.

Hypostomus lima was described by Lütken in 1874 as Plecostomus lima. This loricariid was abundant in the rapids.

Another loricariid species in the Rio Cotovelo; Hypostomus macrops. It’s similar to the commonly kept aquarium Hypostomus.

Another clear water stream: Ribeirão Neto.

This cute member of the family Heptapteridae was described by Lütken in 1874 as Rhamdia minuta. Nowadays it’s called Imparfinis minutus. It inhabits moderate to fast rapids on gravel to pebble grounds.

HOFFMANN & HOFFMANN (2008) reported spawning in captivity of a probably yet undescribed Peruvian species of Imparfinis. After countless attempts a breeding setup consisting of 3 males and 2 females in a 45 L tank with gravel ground and Java fern was successful. After 10 days they discovered roughly 1000 eggs scattered all around the tank. Only 1 female spawned. Artemia were not taken but infusoria. Finally 8 fishes were raised.