Pahang Trip

26th April 2008,
My wife went oversea for work. Became bachelor for 2 days. Having whole weekend for myself. I quickily call for a field trip. However, only Ngiam, my usual buddy, was able to make it. Probably because I tempted him with a Pahang route that he proposed the last time. Apparently he has done some research on the route and had identified some blackwater swamp that he wanted to try. As for me, I was told that that area has crypts.................

As usual, we met somewhere is PJ and started our journey at about 8am. After two approx two hours drive, we started our hunt. The first stop was in a oil palm plantation with a small ponds. The very first scope Ngiam called out, maculatas. I was happy already because I promised Dom to get him some if we find them. There was plenty of fishes here, scissor tail, maculatas, puntius, panntazona, 3 spots gourami, etc. The first stop itself is promissing already.

Pond in oil palm plantation with plenty of fauna swiming in it.

We drove on near a local town, Spoted a stream running underneath the road and stopped. Found a claer water stream with pandan growing in abundant. There were plenty of pitcher plants(?mirabilis) growing in the region too. Ngiam was happy scooping Herliquine rasboras ans scissortail while I was trying my luck on fishing betta. Following pictures are our catches. we also got some betta ? types. unfortunately no photos taken.

Scissors tails

While Ngiam was happily netting his herliquine rasboras , I decided to try fishing for betta. Using fine line and size 6 hook. I cathed the following fishes. No betta though.

We moved to another place. Ngiam spotted a blackwater river and he was very excited. Well, he was right that we found planty of beautiful fishes here. Puntius pentazona, kissing gouramy, boboras maculatas, pearl gouramy, scisssors tail, etc.

Most beautiful pearl gourami I ever seen. Vibrant color so colorful that even hormone latent pearl gourami in the aquarium shop cannot compare.


Unidentified fishes.

A secret spot that has thousand og maculatas. We also found 3 spots gourami, betta tusyae and betta belica here.

An orang Asli caught channa with his fishing line. He said this is small fish, he caught fish as thick as his thigh here before.


The area was full of nephentes(Pitcher plants) wsn't very interested in them and hence didn't take much photos.

Ericaulon species?