The Pipe Expedition

The Pipe Expedition was an ichthyological survey of the Serra do Cachimbo in Brazil. The aim of the expedition was to sample a very species-rich and poorly known ichthyofaunal region in the Neotropics. The Serra do Cachimbo is the highest portion (up to 500 m a.s.l,; Klammer, 1984) of the Brazilian shield in the Amazon region. The headwaters from both middle Xingu basin (Rio Curua) and middle Tapajos (Rio Jamanxim basin and the tributaries of Rio Teles Pires) lie in this region. As noted by Goulding, Barthem & Ferreira (2003), “magnificient waterfalls drop off Serra do Cachimbo tablelands. Small blackwater rivers are found in the sandy parts of the Serra do Cachimbo, but most rivers are crystalline. Fish populations have probably been isolated in the areas above the waterfalls and there are probably many endemic speciesâ€.


read more here, a new controversial species of Apistogramma Gigas may have been identified also, exciting news