26th January '76 at 10.00 hrs in a large lagoon close to Lumley village, northwestern Sierra Leone. The biotope was a lagoon on volcanic rock with a hard sand covering, 50 yards wide & 4' deep at the deepest part. The water was clear, pH 7·5, DH 20, Calcium hardness 14°, carbonate hardness 5°, zero ammonia, nitrite & nitrate. Water temperature 82° F, air temperature 82° F. No aquatic plants present but the area contained mangrove roots. Sympatric sp. Aplocheilichthys spilauchen, Cichlid types (3), Catfish sp., Mud Skippers, Crabs.

26th January 16.00 hrs. This collection number was split into A & B.

A... Collected in an artificial pool made by damming a stream with a concrete wall. At the widest part this was 10' & 30" deep at the deepest part. The base was made up of volcanic rock with a rich deposit of sediment. The pool was well shaded. Located above Marjay village & about 2 miles from the larger Pendembu village.
Collected only Script.roloffi, no other sp. found. Profuse aquatic vegetation.

B... Situated a little further downstream. The water was very clear with a slight flow, pH 5·7, DH ·5°, water temperature 74° F, air temperature 80° F. Sympatric sp. E.fasciolatus, Cichlid sp.

Collected 27th/28th January in a small pond in Regent village. Sympatric sp. Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected 27th/28th January in a pool being fed by a mountain stream. Sympatric sp. E.fasciolatus & H.bimaculatus or Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected 27th/28th January in a small pool close to Bathurst. Sympatric sp.E. fasciolatus, & H.bimaculatus or Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected between 28th - 29th January in an irrigation pool about 3-4 miles from Regent. Sympatric sp. include E.fasciolatus & H.bimaculatus or Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected between 28th - 29th January in a mountain stream near Bathurst. Sympatric sp. include E.fasciolatus & H.bimaculatus or Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected between 28th - 29th January in a small pool in a mountain stream. Sympatric sp. include E.fasciolatus & H.bimaculatus or Pelmatochromis sp.

Collected at 13.30 hrs on 29th January in a rainforest brook in mountainous area near Fonima Forest Reserve, Fonima village.
The biotope was a well shaded pool overhung with trees & bushes in a small stream with a base of volcanic rock & gravel covering at the banks. Rotting vegetation was observed. Water depth was 18" at the deepest point & 3' 6" at its widest.
Roloffia were found sheltering under the banks. The water was very clear with a slight flow, pH 6·7, DH 1·5, water temperature 78° F, air temperature 84° F.
Sympatric sp. included R.roloffi & E.fasciolatus.

Collected between the 29th January & the 2nd February at the ferry crossing on the Waanje River, Jawei, District of Pujehun.
Sympatric sp. included E.njalaensis, E.barmoiensis, Aplocheilichtys normani & very large forms of Characin.

Collected between the 29th January & the 2nd February at 15.00 hrs in a small rivulet approximately 1 mile from Benga Village.
The biotope was a small rivulet with a base of soil with a layer of rotting vegetation & a profuse growth of aquatic plants. Water depth was 3' at its deepest part & 4' at its widest. The surrounding area was described as 'swamp like'. The biotope was exposed apart from one or two trees to provide some shade.
The water was clear & flowed slightly, pH 6·3, DH 2, water temperature 82°F, air temperature 98°F.
Sympatric sp. included Ps.annulatus. Water plants included lilies & a plant resembling an Aponogeton, thought to be Crinum natans.

Collected at 15.25 hrs on the 2nd February 2 niles from Masamwa on the road from Benga to Kalu.
The biotope was a swampy area through which ran a small brook 18" deep at its deepest point & 30" wide at its widest. Some aquatic vegetation was observed with heavy growth of terrestrial vegetation along the edges comprising of ferns & small bushes. The base was made up of soil.
The water was clear, pH 6·3, DH 1, water temperature 82°F, air temperature 94°F.
Sympatric sp. included E.barmoiensis, Aplocheilichthys sp. & Cichlid sp. which remained within the deeper part of the biotope.

Collected at 11.30 hrs on the 3rd February in a roadside stream on the Zimi to Gorahun road.
The biotope had a soil base which was well covered with rotting leaves, tree bark & tree stumps. Water depth 15" at its deepest part & 18-20'("?) at its widest. The stream was well shaded by overhanging trees & ferns at the banks. Upstream the native population used the stream for washing.
The water was tubid with a slight flow, pH 6·5, DH 1, water temperature 76°F, air temperature 82°F.
Sympatric sp. included Epiplatys & a small Characin sp.

Collected at 13.00 hrs on the 3rd February on the Potoru - Zimi road in a well shaded stream which passed underneath the road.
The biotope had a soil / gravel base which was covered with rotting vegetation. The stream ran over rocks in places. Pools had formed near the banks which were overhung with tall trees & bushes. In these areas the water was slightly turbid. The water was 2' deep at its widest point & 5' wide at its widest.
The water was generally clear, with moderate flow, pH 6, DH 1·5, water temperature 76°F, air temperature 84° F.
Sympatric sp. included E.fasciolatus, Roloffia sp.(few & difficult to catch), Catfish, crabs & tadpoles. A few aquatic plants were observed but these were thinly spread.

Collected at 13.55 hrs on the 3rd February in a small stream which ran underneath the road ½ mile from Vaama. The stream had a gravel base. The fish were collected in a pool formed in the stream which had moderate to deep shade from overhanging trees & bushes.
The biotope was 10" deep at the deepest point & 10' wide at its widest point. The water was clear with a moderate flow, pH 6·3, DH 2, water temperature 78° F, air temperature 86° F.
Sympatric sp. included E.fasciolatus & E.njalaensis. Aquatic vegetation was very scarse.

Collected at 14.50 hrs on the 3rd February at Kouma village about 7½ km NW of Zimi.
The biotope was a slow moving stream partially shaded by overhanging tall trees on one side, 30" deep at the deepest point & 9' wide at its widest. On one side ferns grew close to the bank & roots of bushes entered the stream. The base was soil. Near to a bridge where the road passed over the stream the water had a faster flow & had more shade.
The water was slightly turbid, pH 6·8, DH 1·5, water temperature 80° F, air temperature 94° F.
Sympatric sp. included E.zimiensis, Aplocheilichthys sp. shoaling in great numbers, a type of Goby and Characins. Aquatic plants included lilies (Nymphea).

Collected at 09.30 hrs on the 4th February at Mayepema Village on the Pujehun to Potoru road in a small stream with moderate flow which formed many small pools which varied in size from under 3' to 10' wide & 10 - 18" deep at their deepest point. The base was rock with a shallow covering of sediment from rotting vegetation.
The biotope was shaded by overhanging trees, pH 6·3, DH 2, water temperature 77° F, air temperature 79° F.
Sympatric sp. included E.fasciolatus & Aplocheilichthys sp. In a connecting pool a Cichlid sp. was observed but not collected.

Collected at 10.30 hrs on the 4th February 1½ miles from Mayepema on the Pujehun to Potoru road in a stream which passed underneath the road in an area of deep shade coming from the shadow of the bridge in a pool formed at the bridge 3'6" deep & 10' wide (the greatest width of the stream was 18'). The stream had a soil & gravel base.
The water in this pool was turbid with a slight to moderate flow, pH 6·6, DH 1, water temperature 78° F, air temperature 84° F.
Sympatric sp. included Roloffia sp. (geryi type) in very small numbers, E.fasciolatus, E. njalaensis, Ps.annulatus ('of a distinct population'), Aplocheilichthys sp., 2 forms of Characin, catfish sp. and a Mormyrid type fish. Aquatic plants included Nymphea which became quite profuse near to the banks.

Collected at 13.30 hrs on the 5th February 2 miles from Goboru on the Pujehun to Bo road 7° 25' N and 11° 42' W.
The biotope was a series of small pools in a rapidly drying brook. The largest measured 5' at its widest point & 6" deep at its deepest. The pool was shaded by sedge-like plants. The base was soil covered by rotting vegetation. The Roloffia were found hiding at the edges of the pool in the roots of sedge plants where banks were found.
Sympatric sp. included Roloffia fredrodi & E.barmoiensis.

Collected at 14.00 hrs on the 5th February 2¾ miles from Goboru Village in a roadside stream which flowed through a savannah area. Pools were formed in the coarse of the stream. The largest pool measured 15' at the widest point & 1' deep at the deepest part. The base was soil with a layer of rotting vegetation. The centre of the pool was exposed but the edges were shaded by sedges & overhanging trees. pH 6·3, DH 1·5, water temperature 80° F, air temperature 90° F.
Sympatric sp. included E.fasciolatus, Ps.annulatus (different to loc.19, rare), Aplocheilichthys sp., Characin and catfish species. Some water plants present but sparce.

Collected at 09.55 hrs on the 6th February in the Kpeyima Swamp, on the road from Yawei to Bo.
The biotope had plants on the side of the stream which received most light. One part of the stream was fully exposed. On this side of the stream Cichlid sp. were found. In the shaded areas but in open water The base was soil with a layer of rotting vegetation. Ps.annulatus (different color pattern to Loc. 21) and an Aplocheilichthys sp. was found.
The stream was 10' wide at the widest point & 15" at the deepest. The stream had a moderate flow, pH 6·7, DH 1, water temperature 76° F, air temperature 88° F.
Water plants present were Crinum natans & Nymphea.

Collected at 11.00 hrs on the 6th February ½ mile from Serabu Village in the district of Pujehun in a small stream running through a swamp area.
The biotope had deep shade from banana & dwarf palm trees & other tall trees on one side of the stream where it passed under the road. The opposite side of the road had no shade. The base was soil with a layer of rotting vegetation. The deepest point was 2' & the widest 7'6". Roloffia were found hiding in overhanging vegetation, roots & grasses. In most biotopes where Roloffia occurred it was always other fish fauna which were caught first and the Roloffia last of all to be taken.
The water was slightly turbid with a very slight flow in the area where the fish were collected. pH 6·3, DH 1·5, water temperature 81° F, air temperature 86° F.
Sympatric sp. included Roloffia fredrodi, Epiplatys sp. & a Cichlid form.
A thick algal growth was found on the bottom.

Collected at 11.50 hrs on the 8th February close toYork on the road from York to Kent.
The biotope was a small stream running from a forest reserve. Pools formed by the roadside were exposed. Some 40' from the road on each side the pools and stream became well shaded by ferns, trees and terrestial grasses. Widest part of these pools was 6' and 14'' at its deepest part. The base was stone and sediment . Roloffia roloffi was collected under the banks in areas overgrown with algae. Algae was also observed on many large stones in the main water course.
The water was clear with a slight flow except near the banks where slight turbidity occurred. pH 6·5, DH 2, water temperature 78°F, air temperature 87°F.
Sympatric sp. included Roloffia roloffi, E. fasciolatus ( a very large population, 4½ to 5" ), and a type of freshwater shrimp.

Collected at 14.00 hrs on the 8th February 1 mile from Marjay village in a stream which flowed through a forest reserve. This stream formed many small pools amoung boulder outcrops. The base of the stream was volcanic rock with a covering of sediment.
Overhanging terrestrial plants gave shade in some areas. The roots of these plants extended into the water to give shelter from the flow. The deepest point measured 18" & the widest point 9'6''.
A sp. of Roloffia was found sheltering at the banks, well into the root systems. The water in the stream & pools was clear with a fairly fast flow rate, pH 6·3, DH 4, water temperature 82°F, air temperature 106°F.
No other sp. of fish were observed.

Collected at 10.10 hrs on the 10th February in a large flowing stream flowing from a forest reserve through savannah. This was mainly exposed but some shade was afforded by sedges on the banks. The base was gravel & soil.
The stream was 18' wide at its widest point & 4' deep at its deepest. The water was clear. pH 6, DH 2, water temperature 78°F, air temperature 80°F. Sympatric sp. included E.fasciolatus (blue type)& a large Cichlid sp.

SL 76 / 28 - Adonkia (nearest)

Guma Valley near Adonkia.
BKA photo by Fred Wright.

Collected at 11.00 hrs on the 10th February in a large damned stream running from the hills of a forest reserve. The damn was maintained at a high level by the Guma Valley Water Supply Co.
Upstream the biotope was well shaded on both banks with large trees & bushes. At the banks their was a profuse growth of terrestrial grasses & small bushes. The base was a heavy soil deposit which contained much aquatic (Anubias) & terrestrial plants. Also present were water logged tree branches.
The deepest point was 4'6'' & the widest 45'. pH 6, DH 2, water temperature 80°F, air temperature 79°F.The water was clear with a moderate flow.
Sympatric sp. included Rol.roloffi (which varied from types taken in previous locations), E.fasciolatus and a Barbus sp.

Collected at 12.00 hrs on the 11th February at Mile 58 on the Masiaka to Port Loko road. (Masiaka Swamp).
The biotope was a stream which flowed through a swamp area & on to a savannah area. The base was a heavy soil deposit with profuse aquatic vegetation. The stream was exposed but the swamp contained some shade from sedges, fallen bushes, logs & tree branches. The stream was used as a watering hole by wild animals & game traps were observed.
Under the banks E.bifasciatus was collected. In the stream & swamp area R.geryi & a sp. of Aplocheilichthys was collected along with a medium sized Characin sp.
The widest part of the stream was 2' & the deepest 14". The swamp area measured about 1 acre in area & was rapidly drying out. The depth of the water in the swamp was 6".
The water in the stream had a slight to moderate flow, very clear in the centre area but turbid at the banks, water temperature 84°F, air temperature 94°F,In the swamp itself the water temperature was 86°F.
Sympatric sp. included Epiplatys bifasciatus against the banks, Roloffia geryi (bright red population) in the river and the swamp in fair numbers, lampeye sp. (possibly F.flavipinnis) found in the stream proper with a medium sized Characin species.
The plants were profuse aquatic vegetation with sedges in the swamp.

SL 76 / 31 - Port Loko (nearest)

BKA archive photo by Fred Wright showing John Parker & Rod Roberts fishing near Mkoida on the Port Loko road.

Collected at 13.00 hrs on the 11th February in 2 biotopes. Biotope 1 was a large exposed stream slowly flowing through savannah. The stream flowed under a bridge on the road. The base was soil & gravel. At its widest point it was 30' & 2' at its deepest, pH 6·7, DH 1·5, water temperature 80°F, air temperature 88°F. Dense aquatic plants grew in places.
Sympatric sp. Rol.geryi, Epiplatys sp., Aplocheilichthys sp. and a form of Cichlid.

The second location was a shallow overflow pool. Water temperature 94°F.
Sympatric sp. included Rol.geryi.