The mighty Rajang river of Sarawak

[kuching]

As my camping trip has been postponed to later date, I decided to pay a visit to Batang Rajang basin in central part of Sarawak with my friend, John. My target is the little jewel from Batang Rajang : Parosphromenus allani.

Guess what?

I found it at last (after so many years)!!! YESSSSS!!!!


The wild caught Parosphromenus allani from Sibu.







The habitat of Parosphromenus allani : a blackwater stream.





On the way back to Kuching from Sibu : the driving journey is about 5 hours.




More photos will be posted in the forum when I am free.

[kuching]

After so many hours of driving & stopping for lunch/resting, we reached our first location to search for Cryptocoryne lingua. It was found by my friend, Herman very recently. The "rediscovering" of Crypt. lingua in Batang Rajang basin is a shocking news to me as the last people who has seen it was probably more than 30 years ago.

Mostly Crypt lingua is growing in the freshwater tidal influence zone. But over here, it is growing in the brackish water tidal influence zone !!!! I was shocked to find out it can survive in this type of habitat! When I found it growing near a blackwater (mixed with brackish water) small river, the whole colony was covered by a layer of mud. There is no Crypt. ciliata in that area, but it grows under the shade of larger aroid called Lasia spinosa.


Lasia spinosa (the taller aroid) and Crypt lingua (aquatic aroid) on the muddy ground.






The inflorescence of Lasia spinosa is almost 1 metre tall !!!





Lasia spinosa & Crypt lingua .

[kuching]

Crypt. lingua is covered by a layer of mud.





30 minutes later, we moved to another location. It is a freshwater + blackwater stream at an old rubber plantation.


Cryptocoryne pallidinervia. This species of Crypt is growing well under the full sunlight in this habitat.




Most probably Homalomena rostrata. (aroid)




The beautiful inflorescence of Homalomena rostrata.

[kuching]

Paedocypris micromegethes, one of the smallest fishes in the world (this adult fish is less than 1cm long)!!! This time I also failed to bring it back as the fish doesn't look well after scooping up from the net & placed it inside the container. The ulcer started to form few minutes after placing it under the water inside the container. My mistake is I exposed the fish in the air while placing it in the container. I should use a bowl to collect it & place it gently into the container slowly. It is very fragile fish. I released all the fish back half an hour later after finding all of them couldn't swim properly in the container.






The upper view of Paedocypris micromegethes:





Betta akarensis is the most common wild fighting fish in Batang Rajang basin:





Rasbora kottelati. (It has 3 spots on its body compared to its related species, R. kalochroma which has only 2 spots)

[hwchoy]

how come the fish develops ulcer!?

[kuching]

how come the fish develops ulcer!?

no idea. Fragile fish.

[kuching]

The last location on Saturday was visiting a swampy area very near to Batang Rajang.

The big blackwater river. (the water is brackish water)





John & I were almost "fainted" on the spot when we saw thousand of Crypt lingua growing along this small river & the nearby area. So far, this is THE LARGEST population of Cryptocoryne I ever seen !!! Sibu is really a "Crypt. eden".





The Crypt. lingua is covered by a layer of mud which prevent the plant from being getting burnt from direct sunlight during the mid-day (especially during the low tide).

[kuching]

This year, there is no more ferry service in Sibu area anymore as all the bridges are completed.

Driving pass the new lanang bridge (toll is RM3.00) :





Sunset at Sibu.





The next morning, we're heading to a natural pond near Sibu where thousand of Hanguana malayana & Papilionanthe hookeriana (swamp orchid) growing abundantly along the bank (half submerged):






The orchid is flowering all year long:




Papilionanthe hookeriana (swamp orchid)






Papilionanthe hookeriana (swamp orchid)

[kuching]

Next location: A blackwater river where Crypt. yujii grows together with red Barclaya motleyi, Pandanus sp. & hair grasses (Eleocharis sp.):




Crypt. yujii is named after Yujii Sasaki, a Japanese who discovered this species in Sibu area.






Crypt. yujii has very light green coloured leaves:

[kuching]

Next location: A fast flowing clearwater river in the upper part of Sungai kanowit (a tributary of Batang Rajang):





Found Crypt. striolata growing on the submerged rock:





Rivers are everywhere in Sibu area.....too bad, I don't have time to explore;




The wild ginger, Alpinia sp.




The beautiful flower of Alpinia sp.:

[kuching]

New species of Begonia. Some of the young leaves has pinkish colour!







Revisiting this river which the water was used to be very cloudy (soil washed down to the river), but now it's much clearer.





Bingo!!! Crypt. auriculata found growing in submerged condition. I was shocked when my friend told me he saw the Crypt. because I didn't find anything in the last visit to this river!!!





Crypt. auriculata; the population is always small.

[kuching]

Last location of my Sibu trip: a not so fast flowing river to search for a species of Borneo sucker which I found last time but I didn't photograph & find out what species is that....

Crypt. bullosa is growing here:





Crypt. bullosa is common in lower part of Batang Rajang basin, but you can't find it in other places of Sarawak (except Batang Saribas area)or other part of Borneo.






Borneo sucker in situ:





Should be Gastromyzon ocellatus.....probably a new record in Batang Rajang basin ???





I keep the Borneo sucker in the breathing bag, the best way to bring the fish back alive as it needs a lot of oxygen compared to other fish.

[kuching]

more photos posted in my website; here:

http://www.ibanorum.netfirms.com/sibu-john.htm

[hwchoy]

Mikey, beh tahan already. When you open tour agency?

That P. hookeriana also synonymised as Vanda hookeriana right? it is the parent of many early Vanda hybrids.

[andrewtyr]

how does a breathing bag work, Michael?

[hii]

WOW, i didn't know my hometown "SIBU" have so many crypt...

You thread really open my eyes big big...

[kemp]

i'm curious on how does the breathing bag works too, any bro have any idea?

[kuching]

Mikey, beh tahan already. When you open tour agency?

That P. hookeriana also synonymised as Vanda hookeriana right? it is the parent of many early Vanda hybrids.

Vanda hookeriana is the old name. New genus name is called "Papilionanthe hookeriana".

I remembered during my last trip in Sabah, I put at least 6 borneo suckers into that breathing bag & all survived on the trip back home. I kept them inside the bag for almost 2 days without open it!

Just fill up the bag with water....DO NOT trap the air inside the bag.

Sibu is a Crypt heaven....because the land is almost flat & the soils are suitable for Crypt.!

[hwchoy]

Vanda hookeriana is the old name. New genus name is called "Papilionanthe hookeriana".

I know! now my question: a hybrid between this and an Arachnis would been called an Aranda, so now that it is a Papilionanthe, what do we call the old hybrids?

[wintor56]

Hi Guys,

Lots of info on Breathing bags found in the attached article:
http://www.novalek.com/archive/kpd74.htm

Regards,
Des