Clupeids
The family Clupeidae include the herring, sardines
and shad. Although mostly a marine family, the Amazon has more than
ten species of these freshwater adapted schooling fishes. Sardinata
are the largest and are entirely predatory. These
surface-oriented piscivores have a mouth structure, reminiscent of the
tarpon, designed perfectly for attacking small insectivorous fishes.
Their complex hinged jaw opens immediately in front of their
eyes and is canted at approximately a 30-degree angle from the water's
surface. Sardinata attack in zig-zagging rushes, scooping their prey into
the gaping mouth. Possessed with only a few small teeth, they depend
on their speed and running-back agility to outmaneuver the baitfish on
which they feed.
Migratory in nature, Sardinata move in medium
to large schools close on the heels of huge baitfish migrations.
It's an incredible sight to witness a wave form itself in perfectly still
water and realize its made entirely of fleeing silvery baitfish bodies,
. The bait, panicked by the slashing attack of a school of
sardinata sound like a rainstorm moving across the river. |
The Sardinata, (Pellona castelnaeana)
known as apapá in Brazil and as the Amazon pellona in the IGFA record
book, is an exceptional, yet little-known migratory gamefish that behaves
like and fights like a miniature tarpon. A clupeid fish, they average
about 4 to 8-pounds, but can attain upwards of 15-pounds. Sardinata
even look like a tarpon, except that they sport a brilliant golden holographic
coloration, reminiscent of the freshwater dorado. These 'golden freshwater
tarpon' typically reside in faster water during the low water season and
will take both flies and lures with reckless abandon. During high water
seasons, they will form gigantic migratory schools. Stumbling across
such an aggregation of fish can be an anglers dream. Sardinata are
extremely topwater oriented and actually prefer to take noisy surface flies
and lures over subsurface alternatives. Zara spooks and popping-type
surface baits are great for these scrappers.
Fly casters have the best luck throwing 2/0
Gaine's-style poppers on an 8-weight rod spooled with a weight-forward
floating line. The strike of a sardinata is nearly as violent
as that of the ferocious peacock bass, and once hooked, these fish run
and jump repeatedly just like their silver-sided cousins. Because
they are a schooling fish, once one is located, more strikes are sure to
follow. Sardinata are found throughout the Amazon and Orinoco drainage.
Venezuela's Caura River has excellent populations of the fish, as do many
Amazon tributaries.
The pescada, also known as corvina (Plagioscion
squamosissimus) is a freshwater croaker closely related to saltwater
drum (including black drum and redfish). This fish is considered
an 'incidental' species that is sometimes taken on deep-diving crank baits,
jigs and/or streamers fished deep for other river oriented water species.
Once hooked, they'll fight surprisingly like a largemouth bass. Specimens
up to 10-pounds have been taken. Like their better known brethren,
pescada are a valued food fish in the Amazon. |
Why marine fishes in fresh-water?
The Amazon today is a river flowing east that empties into
the Atlantic Ocean. This wasn't always so.
It is theorized that tens of millions of years ago,
the Amazon Basin was a huge Pacific ocean bay. When the Andes mountains
pushed their way toward the sky, the Basin and its waters were permanently
cut off from the Pacific.
Many marine animals, trapped by the rising mountains, slowly
adapted as the Amazon changed. The waters, forced their way
through the eastern lowlands and found their way to the Atlantic.
Rainwater gradually freshened the system and the rays, dolphins and marine
fishes evolved into today's Amazonian saltwater transplants. |
