Janitor fish domination now in Dumarao

Just like golden kuhol or golden apple snail (Pomacea canaliculata), suckermouth catfish or commonly known as janitor fish (Hypostomus plecostemus) is becoming the major threat of farming and aquaculture industries of Dumarao, Capiz. Base on a residential report of the people living near Badbaran River at Brgy. Tamulalod Dumarao, Capiz, they usually caught this kind of fish which looked peculiar for them. It was a speckled fish with sharp spines as they said. Some of these were trapped in finesse fishermen's finely meshed nets locally called as ‘patuloy’ or ‘pukot’. Instead of releasing it on its natural habitat, since eating of it is not advisable, they chose to grab it going to their ponds which they believed it can be sold.

The little knowledge on janitor fish's ability to plot ricefields and riverbanks, just like what happened in Agusan Marsh, is not yet informed to the people of the said barangay or even the whole municipality of Dumarao, Capiz. The said fish was also spotted and caught at Pob. Ilaya Dumarao, Capiz; Pob. Ilawod Dumarao, Capiz; Brgy. Janguslob Dumarao, Capiz; Brgy. Codingle Dumarao, Capiz; and Brgy. Tinaytayan Dumarao, Capiz where Badbaran River flows and soon will extend their territory at Brgy. Salcedo Dumarao, Capiz including some of its neighboring barangays.

The idea of janitor fish's emergence in Badbaran River might because of some pet owners insipidity wherein when they find idleness to take care their tropical freshwater fishes on their aquariums, they just released it一including the janitor fish一in Badbaran River. The existence of a tropical freshwater gold fish (Carassius auratus auratus) also found in the same river at Brgy. Janguslob Dumarao, Capiz and also spotted at Brgy. Tamulalod Dumarao, Capiz supports the idea.

Yet, janitor fish is considered as beneficial for some tropical fresh water fish pet owners to do the janitorial works on their aquariums, these will be considered as pest if it started to plot our rice fields and riverbanks 一 which already happened.

If this fish will continue its breeding in Badbaran River until the next coming years, Dumarao Local Government Unit will hardly face and solve this kind of problem.

The Local Government Unit of the Municipality of Dumarao has no yet a formal action on the rapid reproduction of this fish or more likely as pest which will affect the Dumarao, Capiz aquaculture and farming industries by the next coming years. (MARK LEO HAPITAN/Student News Writer)