THE CASCADURA

A FRESH-WATER FISH

 

NATURE WATCH WITH

AL RAMSAWACK

Sunshine Magazine

February 20, 2000

Page 5

 

In sluggish rivers, ponds and fresh water swamps there are many interesting fishes.  The cascadura is one of these.

 

Unlike most of our fresh-water fishes, the cascadura or cascadoo, as it is commonly, called, is covered with large over-lapping scales which make it hard to touch yet afford it easy movement,

 

Its mouth is on the underside tip of its head, which makes it quite suitable for feeding off the riverbed instead of in the floating volume of the water.  There are many strands around its mouth similar to the catfish.  These strands are called barbells.  The barbells are very sensitive to touch and to its special foods.  As a result, the cascadura uses its barbells rather than its sight for feeling out its food.

 

This unusual fish lays a nest of eggs, resembling a cluster of brown cane sugar, onto water plants on or near the surface of the water.  It appears as a floating nest of eggs.

 

Before the eggs are hatched, the parent cascadura remains close about the nest to protect it from other fishes, which may eat the eggs before they are hatched.

 

The cascadura is a rare fish and is not found naturally in other Caribbean islands.  It is considered by some people an ugly fish, but it certainly is not if you study it carefully.

 

This fish is found in many of our sluggish rivers, ponds and swamps in places like Barrackpore, Debe, Penal, South Oropouche, Plum Mitan and in some of the small rivers along the Caroni plains.  There is a small species of this fish called the pui-pui or river gold fish.  This makes an interesting aquarium fish.

 

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