Aphyosemion cyanostictum Lambert & Géry 1968

A.cyanostictum Makokou, Gabon.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Meaning of Name

cyanostictum meaning blue spots.

First Description

Lambert J.G. & Géry J.1968.

Poissons du bassin de l'Ivindo III, le genre Aphyosemion.

Biologia Gabonica 3 (1967) (4), pages 308-312, figure 4 & plate.

Size

2-3 cm

Meristics
  • D = 10-11, A = 11-12, ll = 26-27 (+2-3) ( Lambert & Géry 1968)
  • D = 10-12, A = 10-12, D/A = 1-2/1, ll = 26-27 (Huber & Seegers 1977)
Karyotype

n = 17, A = 25 (n = 16, A = 23) Scheel 1974, 1990). Variable between different populations.

Sub-Genus

Diapteron

Group

 

Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion (Diapteron) cyanostictum Huber 1980
  • Diapteron cyanostictum Seegers 1980
Populations
  • Bempoko - RPC 78 / 153) (Northern Congo)
  • Makokou (Northern Gabon)
  • Sam ( GBN 88 / 29 )
  • Zomoko
  • BDBG 04 / 11 - Gekara (corrupted to Yekara)
  • LEC 93 / 5

A.cyanostictum which circulated in the BKA.
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer

GBN 88 / 29 Sam
Photo courtesy of Karsten Keibel

 

GBN 88-29 10 km northeast of Sam Towards Oyèm
Photo courtesy of Roberto Arbolea


BDBG 04 / 11 - Gekara - A couple of bad corruptions. Firstly, it was distributed as 'Yekara'. This should be Gekara. In the 2008 BKA convention a fish was sold as BDBG 04 / 24. This collection point was 1 km from Namveng Ayong & no cyanostictum were collected here.
These corruptions may have been introduced by a Dutch breeder or a bag misread.
Collected 2nd February. Elevation 162m, flow-slow, depth - 10-50 cm, width - 5 metre, base - mud & sand, vegetation - bushes & rainforest, water temperature - 21°C, pH-6·9, conductivity - 60µs, species- Fp.kunzi, A.cameronense, A.cyanostictum, E.neumanni, Characidae, Ctenopoma, catfish.

LEC 93 / 5 - Collected January 9th, 1993 at 10.30 am in the Manzalé stream near the village of Ebéssi, 14 kms west of the end of the asphalted road from Makokou to Ovan. Sympatric species include A.cameronense, E.neumanni, Ctenopoma sp. & a Mormyrid form. Water temperature 21·2°C, pH 6·3, 0 dGH.

Type Locality

Small brook close to the village of Belinga located in the basin of the Ivindo River, northern Gabon.

Distribution

The Ivindo & Benito River drainages of northern Gabon.
Known to have been collected at Makokou, north of Ovan & 50 km north of Massaha.

Habitat

Small, swampy rainforest brooks.

At this collection site near Ovan, Gabon A.cyanostictum & A.georgiae were collected.

Photo: Courtesy of Ed Pürzl.

Distinguishing Characteristics  
Colour/Pattern Variability  
History

Gery collected the sp. in small streams in the area around Belinga, approx 600 metres above sea level. He also collected A.georgiae.
Collected by Herzog & Bochtler in the summer of 1972 & took back alive to Germany.
Collected by Roland Numerich in February 1987 between Belinga to Mayebut on the Ivindo River. Also collected A.georgiae & 2 sp. of Aphyosemion. See also A.georgiae.

Breeding Notes

Not an easy species to breed. They are reportedly best bred in a permanent set up with peat fibre. One male should be provided with several females. Eggs when water incubated hatch in 8-12 days. When the fry reach 5-7 mm they should be removed to a growing on tank as they will start to eat younger fry just starting out. Parents do not seem to eat their young.
Sexual maturity is slow coming & may take 8-9 months.

Jaroslav Kadlec in BKA newsletter No.239, July 1985 reported that the pH should be 5·8 - 7·2, hardness 1-2° , temperature 18-28°C. It was noted that males lose there colour at temperatures lower than 18°C & the fish will become less active. Five eggs per week per female was noted as a normal yield although it was observed that the pair will eat there own eggs.
Egg development was considered best at DH2. On hatching the fry measured 3·5mm & were a reddish colour. Fry can be cannibalistic towards each other at early stages of growth. At one month of age they measured 7-8mm. Sexing out can be observed in 2 months with red starting to develop in unpaired fins. Sexual maturity was observed at 4 months with full size being obtained at 6-7 months.
One sided sexing out was observed with young. A male 3 months older than the females was found to give good results in water with a pH of 6·2.

Diameter of Egg  
Remarks