Whiscash (Barboach)
Piscisdeluto sp.
Overview
Whiscash are one of the most prolific pokémon worldwide, boasting scores of species on six continents. They are an important food fish in some parts of the world. Several species are valued in the aquarium trade. But, like most wholly aquatic fish, they are not often sought out by traveling trainers.
Alola boasts three fascinating species of whiscash. The Mississippian, or farm, whiscash (P. della) is the most commonly raised whiscash species and one of the most commonly farmed fishes in the United States. It can often be found in farm ponds on Akala. The Melemele whiscash (P. insulantrum) is a blind cave-dwelling species that lives in the cold subterranean rivers in the north and eastern parts of the island. Finally, the Poni whiscash (P. perfodit) is a semi-troglomorphic species that spends the day in the caves and aquifers of the island before coming up to surface waters to feed every night.
Aspiring farmers and aquaculturists may wish to try their hand at caring for a tank of farm barboach or a pond of whiscash. Scientifically minded aquarists may be interested in the other two species.
Physiology
Both stages of all three species are classified as dual water- and ground-types.
Barboach is a serpentine pokémon with two pectoral fins, a dorsal fin, and a rounded tailfin. Large barbels are used for sensing tiny seismic vibrations and water currents. Most of barboach's face is covered in taste buds to help differentiate between food and other objects in murky waters. Barboach is coated in a layer of bacteria-heavy slime to deter predators, slip away from tight spots, and keep itself moist for very short periods out of the water.
Farm barboach are dark grey on top and pale blue on the bottom. A wavy black stripe runs along the sides and separates the two colors. They are the largest of the three barboach species in Alola and have by far the strongest vision and, proportionally, the shortest barbels.
Melemele barboach are entirely devoid of pigment. Shortly after birth skin grows to cover their eyes. The barbels grow longer to compensate. Melemele barboach have extremely low metabolisms.
Poni barboach are somewhat larger than their Melemele counterparts but much smaller than farm barboach. This species are mottled gray all around with only a slightly lighter bottom coloration than top. The eyes remain functional but weak. Poni barboach tend to flee at the first sign of light while Melemele barboach are entirely oblivious to it.
Whiscash tend to be twice as long and far broader than the serpentine barboach. Their tail turns into a proper dorsal fin and the barbels grow wider. The old lower fins are replaced by a set of pectoral fins and a set of belly fins. In addition to barboach's ability to sense vibrations and currents, whiscash can predict and cause low level seismic shifts with their terrakinesis. This ability is often used at very low levels to move mud and detritus around to root through it or bury into it.
The Alolan whiscash species mostly retain the color schemes and other notable attributes of the barboach stage.
Farm whiscash can grow up to six feet in length and weigh up to seventy pounds. On average they live for six years in the wild and eight in captivity.
Melemele whiscash reach lengths of thirteen inches and usually weigh around three pounds. Their wild lifespan is unknown. Most specimens live thirty years or more in captivity.
Poni whiscash reach lengths of twenty-two inches and weigh up to twelve pounds. Their wild lifespan is not known. Captive specimens have only recently begun to survive for more than five years in captivity, but the wild lifespan is almost assuredly higher.
Behavior
Mississippian barboach,prefer to rest in shallow waters filled with plants. Their tail is wrapped around a plant to provide an anchor outside of hunting times. A large part of Mississippian barboach's diet comes from worms and other insects discovered by rooting through the detritus at the bottom of the water. The rest comes from slow-moving fish that swim nearby or particularly unlucky insects or amphibians that come near and rest. In turn barboach fall prey to anything with a strong enough stomach to handle the bacteria in their slime. A variety of poison-types and amphibians subsist primarily upon barboach. Snorlax have also been known to fish for barboach and whiscash when food is particularly scarce, sometimes by belly flopping into the water in the hopes of knocking prey onto land.
Farm whiscash are ambush predators that submerge themselves almost entirely in mud and detritus at the bottom of the pond. When something comes close the whiscash will bolt towards it and give chase for a few seconds if the initial lunge does not capture the prey. When food has been scarce they may also root around in the substrate for worms, arthropods, and other burying pokémon.
Melemele barboach and whiscash live in the cool, slow-moving subterranean streams under Melemele. They have few predators but limited prey options. All but the youngest or smallest of magikarp are too small to fall prey to the small whiscash species. Instead barboach and whiscash mostly subsist on insects, guano, and the occasional bat corpse that falls into the water. Their slow metabolisms allow them to go weeks between feedings to compensate for the rarity of food in their environment.
In contrast to the relatively stationary Mississippian and Melemele barboach, the Poni barboach and whiscash are highly migratory. Around dusk the pokémon rise from the caves and aquifers of Poni Island and swim or dig their way to the surface. Once there they feed upon any drowsy, slow, or small creatures they can find in the ponds and rivers. Before dusk they make their way back down to the relative safety of the deep and dark. Their primary predators are dragonair as the dragon-types are quite capable of diving down into whiscash's hiding place and eating barboach or young whiscash. Dragonair often drag the corpse up to the surface to roll around in, transferring some of the prey's slime to their own body and making themself unsafe to eat in the process.
Husbandry
Traveling trainers who insist on caring for a whiscash are best off sticking close to Pokémon Centers and lakes. Oddly enough the Melemele barboach fares best on the trail as it can stay in a dive ball for days on end without needing to feed due to the species' naturally low metabolism. In any case it is not recommended due to the difficulty in using the pokémon in battle on the island challenge.
Farm barboach are typically raised in large tanks from hatching until evolution. They prefer fresh or slightly brackish water, a thick layer of substrate, and lots of plants in their tank. A stocking rate of thirty to forty gallons per barboach is recommended for near-evolution barboach. Hatchlings can live in much higher densities due to their small size. Farm barboach prefer a worm and arthropod based diet with some mollusk and fish meat mixed in. Many commercial suppliers mix grain into their food to save on money, although this is usually phased out for whiscash to avoid off-flavor (see Illness). They seldom fight other barboach so long as food and space are adequately provided.
Farm whiscash are nearly impossible to raise profitably in tanks. Shallow ponds are preferred. Each whiscash requires at least forty square feet of space to itself. They will otherwise will become aggressive with each other even with adequate food. Food should be distributed in such a way that roughly equal amounts fall into each fish's territory. High water quality is important both for monitoring the pokémon and preventing off-flavor. Many whiscash ponds are artificial with hard bottoms and an attached filtration system. Aerial predators typically do not prey upon whiscash but particularly concerned farmers or those living near braviary may wish to invest in guard pokémon such as manectric.
Melemele whiscash are surprisingly easy to care for. They prefer cool waters (50 to 60 degrees Celsius) with a pH between 6 and 7.5 and moderate hardness. Light is optional: it does not seem to bother the fish and they do not require it to navigate. Hiding places are good for preventing stress. Many aquarists prefer to have rocky decorations such as hollow columns and stone floors with small caves. Melemele whiscash are surprisingly tolerant of conspecifics. One barboach typically requires five gallons and each whiscash requires roughly twenty-five gallons. Vibrations in the area should be kept to a minimum to avoid disturbing the fish.
Poni whiscash were not successfully raised in captivity until 2013. In recent years the Hau'oli Aquarium has had great success raising and even breeding the species through innovative exhibit design. A layer of substrate at the bottom of the Local Waters tank blocks off a tunnel that leads down to another, quieter tank two floors down. During the day the whiscash burrow through the substrate into the tunnel and down to a quiet, isolated tank in a dark gallery. At night they tunnel back up into the main tank to feed before retreating around the time the aquarium opens to the public. Private aquarists have managed to replicate the setup with a night and day tank, both kept in dark rooms with a slight elevation disparity and a tunnel between them. They can tolerate slightly warmer waters and higher currents than Melemele whiscash and are strongly averse to light. Tank specifications are otherwise similar. Poni whiscash generally require about 50% more space than Melemele whiscash, although this can be split between their two tanks.
Illness
The main "health" problem for whiscash farmers is off-flavor, and the related issue of off-odor. These do not seem to affect the pokémon during life. Rather they affect the resulting flavor or odor at death. Sometimes an entire pond of whiscash will come out foul-tasting or smelling. The reasons behind this are not presently understood. The condition seems to be tied to water and diet quality. As such farm whiscash are actually some of the cleanest and healthiest of any food fish, despite their reputation. Farmers will start the harvesting season by catching and preparing one whiscash. If the flavor is good the rest will be harvested and sent to a processor. If it is not the fish are left to spend another year in the pond, this time with even more attention paid to water and diet quality. Most farmers keep a second pond available in case one year's batch cannot be harvested. It provides a place for the newly evolved whiscash to go when they outgrow their tank.
Evolution
Around the time they reach full size (which varies depending upon the species), barboach begin to seek out much more food to eat. Melemele barboach's already low metabolism plunges even farther for several months to allow for weight gain. Over a period of time ranging from of three to six weeks (farm whiscash) to an entire year (Melemele whiscash) growth gradually occurs. New fins slowly grow in and the tail fin first fades before eventually becoming a dorsal fin. The pokémon mostly grows wider with some slight length gains during evolution.
Battle
In the wild whiscash primarily hunt prey through ambush attacks and powerful bites and gulps. Their defenses mostly come from their foul-tasting and bacteria-laden slime. While they are capable of summoning moderately powerful seismic attacks, this is not something that whiscash often do in the wild. The reason they abstain from their most powerful defensive strategy is not well understood. At present the leading theory is either fear of retaliation from gyarados, milotic, or another keystone species or social pressure from conspecifics not to create powerful and annoying vibrations unless absolutely necessary.
The largest whiscash species have seen some use in circuits that guarantee freshwater pools at either trainer's request. Their massive bulk and potent venom or seismic attacks makes them difficult to remove from the water and hard to harm inside of it. The venomous species in particular can hide in deep water and stall out land threats. Unfortunately, several of these species (Javan, Indian, Caspian) are now endangered or critically endangered and difficult to obtain. They all suffer from competition with dondozo, a closely related species that is even larger than these whiscash species.
Mwasaa binti Musa, reigning champion of the Pan-African Conference and world-renowned water-type expert, famously uses a massive Nile whiscash that is almost thirteen feet long. Miguel Cabrera, champion of the Amazonian Federation and fifth-highest ranked trainer in the world, occasionally uses an electric whiscash.
The farm whiscash is large enough to be decent in battle, provided that there is fresh or brackish water available. Brackish water tolerance must be built up over time before battling in it. Whiscash rely mainly on staying submerged in the water while unleashing seismic attacks to slowly whittle down opponents. Dragon dance can be taught with some effort or considerable funds. The effects of dragon dance allow whiscash to temporarily leave the water, although they are often slow and unwieldy in the air.
Barboach are essentially limited to spraying weak water guns and unleashing slightly stronger seismic attacks. In the water itself barboach can use their knowledge of and ability to create vibrations to throw off other fish. Very few trials have water pools available, making barboach difficult to justify on the island challenge.
Acquisition
Farm whiscash and barboach can be found and caught in the Brooklet Hill watershed. As a reward for bringing in one of these invasive pokémon some local restaurants will fry any farm barboach or whiscash brought to them. Alternatively, they can be purchased directly from farmers or through many aquarium or farm supply stars.
Poni and Melemele barboach and whiscash have rather strict annual quotas. Trainers wishing to capture one should consult with the local Pokémon Center before doing so. Melemele Barboach are best found by following the streams in Seaward Cave, either from the Kala'e Bay or Melemele Meadow entrances. Do careful research and extensive preparations before heading off path in the cave; more than one spelunker has set out into the cold, slippery tunnels in search of barboach and never returned. Trainers who wish to avoid the quotas and danger can also purchase Melemele barboach through specialty aquarium stores.
Poni whiscash and barboach can thankfully be caught at the surface. Ponds in the area of Poni Meadow and Vast Poni Canyon are frequent feeding sites for the pokémon. Trainers with night vision goggles can watch them as they surface and feed. Any light at all can scare off the nocturnal pokémon. Barboach can be caught by insect and worm-based bait a few meters below the surface. Whiscash feed near the bottom and are more likely to bite lines with fish, especially live ones. Barboach are too small and slippery for net fishing but some whiscash can be caught that way in shallower waters. Scuba divers with another water-type can also try their hand at the traditional battle and capture fishing.
Farm and Melemele barboach can be obtained with a Class I license. Those species of whiscash require a Class II to capture, adopt or purchase. Poni barboach and whiscash require a Class III license to possess.
Breeding
Whiscash mate with a nearby partner of the opposite sex. Eggs are laid three days later and hatch after another two. Newly hatched barboach are less than one tenth the length of their maximum pre-evolution size. Cannibalism from older barboach and whiscash is common.
In captivity a pair must be isolated from other whiscash before they will breed. Once eggs are laid the adults should immediately be withdrawn and moved back to their normal enclosure before they can eat their progeny. Once the barboach hatch they should be moved to a shallow tank with very gentle currents and no larger Pokémon. As they grow up the barboach can be introduced into successively larger tanks. Barboach that have reached about half their maximum pre-evolution size can introduced to a tank or pond with whiscash. Most farmers never mix barboach and whiscash to avoid any potential aggression and keep track of the populations.
Relatives
There are dozens, if not hundreds, of whiscash species. Temperate whiscash, and especially cave whiscash, are smaller than tropical whiscash. Most temperate or subtropical swamp-dwelling species are similar to the Mississippian whiscash, albeit a little bit smaller.
Tropical rainforest and swamp dwelling whiscash can grow to be massive. The Indochinese whiscash (P. titanus), the largest species, can grow to lengths of nearly twenty feet and weigh over a ton. On top of their sheer size, the Indochinese whiscash, along with its close relatives in Java and the Sundurbans, have a venom that breaks down plant matter. They mainly hunt by staying near the surface and unleashing seismic attacks when primates, large bug-types, or other pokémon try to cross through the canopy over them. the resulting shockwaves often knock prey into the water and let the whiscash feed. They can also unleash venom near tree roots to break down the foilage and expose the prey underneath. Grass-types with a mix of plant and animal traits also often fall prey to the Indochinese whiscash as they attempt to drink or ford the river. Deforestation, dam construction, and increasing water diversion for agriculture have made the Indochinese whiscash critically endangered. There are now more captive specimens than wild ones. Similar forces are pressuring the Javan and Indian whiscash.
The Nile whiscash (P. nubia) is another tropical species with a somewhat different hunting strategy. The Nile whiscash prefers to burrow into the side of the river or pond in areas where land pokémon frequently come to get water. Several whiscash can burrow at once. Once a very large individual or a herd of pokémon approach the water to drink, the whiscash unleash seismic waves and literally collapse the ground over them where the prey are standing. As water rushes in the whiscash work together to fatally bite or drown their quarries before they escape. The spoils are shared equally by all whiscash with the barboach getting any remainder.
Across the Atlantic the Amazonian, or electric, whiscash (P. rexatrox) is one of the top predators in the Amazon River. The Amazonian whiscash is unusually fast and somewhat poisonous, although it is not venomous. Its bright red tail and streaks of yellow scales make it one of the most colorful species. The electric whiscash traded its ability to generate seismic waves for an unusual talent at creating and withstanding electrical currents. The Amazonian whiscash most commonly hunts by either hiding in the substrate or darting into a school of fish and then unleashing an electric pulse. Smaller fish are instantly killed. Larger fish can usually resist the comparatively weak hunting pulses but will be killed by stronger defensive attacks if they stay in the area or try to steal the whiscash's food.