Aphyosemion buytaerti Radda & Huber 1978

A.buytaerti FCCO 2013-02 - Zanaga
Photo courtesy of Christian Cauvet

Meaning of Name

After John Buytaert.
First Description

Radda A.C. & Huber J.H. 1978.

Die Rivulinae des sudlichen Kongo (Brazzaville) I, Beschreibung von vier neuen Arten der Gattung Aphyosemion Myers.

Aquaria 25 (12): 173-187 (181-183) fig. 11-12..
Size

5 cm
Meristics

D = 12-13, A = 14-15, ll = 28-30 (+1-2), D/A = 1/6-8 (Radda & Huber 1978).
Karyotype

n = 19, A = 29 (Scheel 1981).
Sub-Genus

Mesoaphyosemion
Group

A.wachtersi
Synonyms

None.

Populations

  • Ogooué
  • FCCO 13 / 2 - Zanaga
  • BSW 99 / 3
  • BSWG 97 / 3
  • EBT 96 / 2
  • RPC 28
  • RPC 205

BSWG 97 / 3 -

A.buytaerti BSWG 97 / 3.
Photo courtesy of Oscar Sanchez Diezma

 

EBT 96 / 2 - Lendoungou, 2·8 km north of Maloundou.

EBT 96/2
Photo courtesy of Peter Tirbak

 

  
  • Ogooué -
  • RPC 28 - The village of Ogooue (between Zanaga & Voula II).
  • RPC 205 - The same location as RPC 28.
Type Locality

River Ekouma near the village of Ogooué between Zanaga & Voula II, central Congo.
Distribution

Despite efforts by Buytaert to find them in other locations they could not be found. Peter Tirbak tells me they were collected on his trip EBT 96 they collected them some distance to the north of Buytaert's locations.
Habitat

Found in a stream with forest cover in the centre of Ogooue. Measurements taken at 1400 hrs were Air temperature 19'C, water temperature 18'C, pH 6. Sympatric sp. included Aphyosemion schluppi, A.caudofasciatum, Hypsopanchax zebra, Hepsetus odoe (a predatory sp.), Phenacogrammus aurantiacus, Barbus akk.jae, Barbus sp.3, Ctenopoma nanum.
Distinguishing Characteristics  
Colour/Pattern Variability Low.
History

First discovered by Buytaert & Wachters on the 23rd July 1978 at 1400 hrs at the type locality.
Buytaert returned to this location in 1979 where the collection point was named RPC 205a. Despite every effort to find them in other locations they could not be found.
Breeding Notes

This sp. is reportedly difficult to spawn. Eggs are layed on top & bottom mops & take 15-20 days of water incubation. Egg production is reportedly only about 5 per day. It would however be better to leave the eggs with the parents & allowed to grow on in the same tank.
The tank should be heavily planted to give the fry every chance of survival, although the parents are reported to be non-cannibalistic towards there young.
They are reported to spawn better in rainwater.
Eggs are quite large, as are the fry, although growth rate is not very fast. Sexing the young fish can be very difficult as females are quite strongly coloured. Females of this sp. should not be allowed to mix with Aphyosemion wachtersi fry as seperation can be very difficult.
Diameter of Egg Reported to be 'quite large'.
Remarks

At one stage they were reportedly lost to the hobby although an odd pair does occur at BKA auctions at least in 1999.
Closely related to A.wachtersi & was, for a time considered a sub-species of A.wachtersi. It was decided to seperate them primarily because they are not found together in the wild.
A dark tank brings out the full colouration of this sp.