This article originally appeared in the T&T Newsday as part of the TTFNC's natural history series. Most of us associate crabs with a trip to the beach – scuttling across the sand or hiding in a rockpool. However, here in T&T, these ten-legged crustaceans have even colonised the upper reaches of our forest streams. The mountain, or manicou, crab (Rodriguezus garmanii – formerly placed in the genus Eudaniela) is typically found at between 50-800 metres elevation, and displays several impressive adaptations that allow it enjoy an inland existence.
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This feature originally appeared as part of the TTFNC's weekly natural history series in the national 'Newsday' paper. If you are lucky enough to have spent any time as a child catching fish in ditches and streams, you have almost certainly encountered this particular species. It is known by several names, including the formal scientific name of Anablepsoides hartii (formerly Rivulus hartii), Hart’s rivulus, and ‘seven colours’. However, most people probably know it as the ‘jumping guabine’. At full size, these small fish are around 10cm and although dull from a distance, they have vivid horizontal coloured stripes stretching along their body. Males and females can be distinguished fairly easily by their colouration; males tend to be brighter and have distinctive pale orange edges to the tail, while the female’s tail has a darkened tip (see photo below). Jumping guabines are found throughout T&T as well as in northern Venezuela. They thrive in a variety of habitats, from muddy road-side puddles to the shallow edges of large rivers. This article was written by Amy Deacon and Kris Sookdeo, and originally appeared in the TTFNC's Newsday column. Ask any Trinidadian what a zangee is and you are likely to get a range of responses. Some will tell you it is a “swamp eel,” others insist on calling it a “water snake.” More still will reveal that they are not sure what a zangee is exactly, but they are terrified of them nonetheless; perhaps they have heard the rumours about this mysterious creature, which is said to suck on your toes should you happen to tread barefooted into the water. The truth is that the zangee, more formally known as Synbranchus marmoratus, is actually a type of fish. With their slippery, elongated body (up to 1.5 metres long), the confusion is completely understandable. Adding to the mystery is the fact that they lack well developed fins and their bodies are essentially scaleless. Indeed, it is surprising to discover that they are not closely related to the true eels at all (which may also be found occasionally in Trinidadian waters), and their resemblance to a snake is entirely superficial. Sometimes spelt janjii or zangie, the origin of the name is actually “les anguilles” which is French for eel. Like many local French-derived names that begin with the letter “a,” Trinidadians added a “z” and, over time, the word morphed into the zangee that we know today. Outside of Trinidad, the zangee is found throughout Mexico, Central and South America and on a few islands of the Caribbean. Within T&T, it is one of the most widespread fish in the islands’ waterways, inhabiting a wide range of habitats from muddy swamps and drainage ditches to clear, pristine mountain streams. It is primarily found on the southern slopes of the Northern Range, but has on occasion been found along the north coast at Sans Souci and Yarra. I never turn down a chance to promote my favourite fish, so when the Trinidad and Tobago Field Naturalists’ Club invited me to contribute to their new weekly column in the local newspaper, I accepted immediately! The print version was accompanied by some colourful photos, but you can read the article itself here. Other contributions have included a piece I co-authored on two of Trinidad’s most charismatic garden birds, and a lovely column by another club member about the beautiful immortelle trees that brighten up the forests here during dry season. |
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I enjoy writing about natural history, science and other interesting things. Links to some of these pieces are posted here. Archives
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