Due to work and college commitments , I had almost no free time to do anything other than rest. With the COVID-19 situation happening globally, Brunei was also affected, borders were closed and we couldn’t travel internationally, thus I decided back to go to the jungle to release some stress. The border closures resulted in the Bruneian government opening up the Temburong bridge (now formally named as Sultan Haji Omar Ali Saifuddien Bridge). Temburong Bridge links the 3 mainland districts of Brunei with the Temburong exclave and is the longest bridge in Southeast Asia, 30-kilometre (19-mile) long. As there is …
Biotopes of Brunei | Cyprinid diversity in the blackwaters of the Lumut River
We have embarked on our next adventure, which this time around takes us all the way to the upper stretches of the Lumut River. The Sungai (River) Lumut is located in Belait District, the largest district in Brunei Darussalam and has a length of approximately 14km+ which starts at Lumut beach seems to end somewhere in the region of its arrival to the Labi road; it is an independent river and not connected to the Belait river. Our collection site is located next to the Telisai Lumut Highway in similar habitat to our previous trip to the Upper Telamba river. …
Biotopes of India | The Western Ghats, Mountain Streams to Mangrove Swamps
It is the middle of the dry season in the Western Ghats; I am here in the mountains of southern India at 3000ft above sea level on the border of two states, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and I am surrounded by dense jungle. The temperature during the day is not yet scorching but reaches somewhere in the region of 34°C, the canopy keeps me mostly shaded but at night the temperature drops by more than 20°C and it can be a shock to the system. My surroundings are dry but are quite reminiscent of my time in the Amazon except …
Biotopes of Brunei | Aquatic Treasures in the Labi Jungle
On 17th February 2017, a 3 member team from the Brunei Biotope Group including myself set off on a journey into the jungles of Labi (located in South East of Belait District in Brunei Darussalam) in search of a tall waterfall known to locals as Wasai Belulok situated along the Belulok River (4°16’32.57″N, 114°25’29.45″E). The journey into the jungle started at approximately 12 noon, until 4pm. At the Belulok waterfall, within a 50 metre span of the stream, various species of fish and one species of aquatic plants can be found. Starting from the pool beneath the waterfall, only one …
Biodiversity of the Rio Paraná Delta, Argentina
For many years, when thinking about ornamental fish, I wonder how this paradise of species has not been better recognised and appreciated. This Argentine delta is a unique place, unlike any other similar habitat in the world. It is a beautiful wetland, a magical place with lagoons, jungle, grasslands and floating islands that form in the space of just a few years and are constantly mutating to give birth to new biotopes for different species – this place is so very rich in biodiversity. Firstly, to appreciate the size of this Eden of ornamental fish it is instrumental to know …