Native aquarium fish in Jamaica

 

The value of Jamaican Gully fish

In Jamaica, there are several water ways. These water ways originates both naturally and conveniently by humans. These waters exist in the form of manmade gullies, water drains, streams, rivers, and to some extent man made run off ponds design to collect excess water from land during heavy rainfall. Jamaica was originally called Xaymica by its past earlier ancestors, referred to as Caribs, Arawaks and Amerindians. Prior to the discovery of the West by the Europeans, the natives of the Caribbean including Jamaica had great interest in fishing, farming and hunting.

After over 400 years, fishing continues to play a significant role in both the economic as well as the natural aesthetics of Jamaica. Angling as well as net fishing facilitates the bulk of Jamaica’s fishing industry. Interestingly, ornamental fish keeping is not considered much of a value today,  yet holding superb potential especially for the export market . In Jamaica there are several active fish species swimming in the wild, including but not limited to rivers, ponds, gullies and waterways.These fish are shipped and sold in Markets such as North America, Asia and other countries rich with fish keeping enthusiast. These fish are are considered to have great value in other geographical jurisdiction and their ornamental fishing industry.

I have seen with my own eyes, apple snails , in sewage drains, mosquito fish along with wild guppies and mollies in water drains and natural swamps in Jamaica.  Varied  dwarf catfish are spotted In the Wag Water River, Castleton Garden in the parish of St. Mary Jamaica. I have also spotted  a few Jaguar cichlids in the Duhaney River and Cane river  in Kingston and St. Catherine and also the Salt river while I was in pursuit of wild mosquitoes fish months ago.

The position of Jamaica within the Tropics have makes it accommodative to several tropical fish species that are considered popular within the fish keeping hobby. With the advent of climate change and the extra ordinary weather conditions now being experienced throughout the world, global warming and irregular climatic conditions throughout the Caribbean, several central American fish ( saltwater) has been migrating into the Caribbean region. Some saltwater fish keeping enthusiast has been making economic wealth from this feat. This can be seen in increase catch for anglers and persons engaged in spear fishing throughout the Caribbean region.

Freshwater fish doesn’t migrate as do saltwater fish. The genetically structure of freshwater fish doesn’t allow for freshwater to move from continent or island to island in search of better climatic condition. Where do all the identified ornamental fish seen in Jamaican fresh water systems, actually originated from? There are merely two explanations, like the  fresh water bass thatis now becoming a nuisance within the salt river in Clarendon, Jamaica area, being introduced within the natural water way by someone overwhelmed with stock being grown for food, so too some ornamental fish such as the common Pleco and other fish species might have been introduced into Jamaica's water ways.

On the other hand, some fish species should be deemed as native, originating in existence in Jamaica. We will not know the origin of some ornamental fish species which exist within our local waterways. It is indeed a foregone conclusion, that although some fish including cichlids are categorized as Central American, African as well as  South American variants of these fish species exist throughout the Caribbean, they are limited in existence in variants throughout the Caribbean freshwater systems.

I believe efforts can be made to catch and develop fish several fish species found within our natural water ways. If considered carefully, monies can be earned from just selective breeding of some of the fish listed as wild natives of Jamaica. Share in the comment section below. What do you really think?