Aphyosemion dargei Amiet 1987

Meaning of Name

After Philippe Darge who encouraged Amiet in writing the book mentioned in First Description.
First Description

Amiet J.L. 1987.

The book - Fauna of Cameroon. Vol 2. Le Genus Aphyosemion Myers. English text pages 135-257. contains colour photographs 250-252, figures & map.

Size

4.5 cm.
Meristics

D = 10-11, A = 14-16, D/A = +6-7, ll = 28-30 (Amiet 1987).
Karyotype

 
Sub-Genus

Kathetys
Group

exiguum
Synonyms
  • Aphyosemion bualanum Mbam Seegers 1980
  • Aphyosemion spec.aff.bualanum von Mbam Berkenkamp 1983.
Populations
  • Houé
  • Matsari
  • Mbam River Ferry (near Goura Island, central Cameroon)
  • Mbam
  • Ndjolé (Vertical red lines on the body appear centrally which extend into the caudal fin)
  • Simbane (Central Cameroon)(Caudal fin variable, can be seen with vertical red bands or spots)
  • GKC 90 / 22
  • GKC 90 / 23

A.dargei circulating in the BKA.
Photo courtesy of Pat Rimmer.

Male. Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes

Female. Photo courtesy of Vasco Gomes

Matsai - GKC 90 / 23.

Matsari GKC 90 / 23
Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

   

Mbam - Possibly first distributed in the BKA in August 1980. Three different colour forms of this population were reported in 1982. The Mbam River is lengthy & flows through open savannah & rainforest.
Reportedly a heavy spawner in P.Lakermi BKA newsletter No.278 (October 1988) with 50-70 eggs per week being collected. Fry took newly hatched brine shrimp. Sexing out in 6-7 months with a period of 10-12 months before full sexual maturity.

Mbam circulating in the US around 1980. Photo: Courtesy of Lennie MacKowiak

Mbam circulating in the BKA around 1982.

Mbam Photo courtesy of Maurice Chauche & the KCF website.

Mbam River Crossing -

Wild fish collected near to Bafia, Mbam River Crossing
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

Wild fish collected at the same location as the photo on the left (Bafia). Ed Pürzl collected 50 pairs of the form on the left but only found one of this blue form. This is similar to the true A.bualanum.
Photo courtesy of Ed Pürzl

 
Type Locality

Houe, west/central Cameroon on the Ngorro -Ngila track. Two localities were given in the description.
Distribution

The area of distribution is split into two different areas: The Mbam & Ndjim Rivers; & the Sanaga River. Both areas are part of the same drainage system. These different areas are split with the species A.elberti (north of the Sanaga River) & A.exiguum (south of the Sanaga River).
Habitat

Shaded rainforest streams & brooks often fast flowing.
Distinguishing Characteristics  
Colour/Pattern Variability Wildekamp considered them to be seperated by colouration of the unpaired fins which are yellow to orange bordered with red. The central part of the caudal fin is light blue with red crossbars (Wildekamp K/N 274 June 1988).
History

Amiet in his work 'Faune du Cameroun Volume 2 Aphyosemion' considered their were sufficient grounds to seperate the Mbam population from bualanum.. The exact location was Mbam River ferry near the village of Goura 1, western Cameroon.
They were also found in the Mbam River basin at Houe. Also in 3 other localities south of the Sanaga River (Wildekamp K/N 274 June 1988).
First known importation was 1974.
Breeding Notes

Jaroslav Kadlec in BKA Newsletter No.395 August 1998 stated - Water should be cooler at around 18 - 22°C. Tank base should have 1-2cm of peat. Water is soft with a carbonate hardness of 0·3 GH. One male with 2-3 females. Leave the fish in the setup for 5-10 hours & 10-30 eggs should be laid. Take the fish out & leave the eggs to hatch in the tank. Incubation takes 20-25 days.
Another method was to leave the fish for 2-4 spawning sessions & remove the peat. Partially dry between sheets of newspaper & wet after 4-5 weeks. Medium hard water can be used at 10-12°C. Fry hatch within 24 hours.
On hatching fry will take newly hatched brine shrimp or small Cyclops. At 2 weeks the fry are 6-7mm long with sexing out at 10-12 weeks. First signs of males are a yellow colouration in unpaired fins & flanks.

Bob Gunn in BKA No.365, February 1996 wrote a breeding report. A pair is kept in a 15 x 12 x 10" tank with 3 floating mops & a handful of boiled peat. Water is 3 parts rain & 1 tap giving a reading of pH 7, GH 7, water temperature 70-74°F. Egg production is 4-15 per day. Eggs are colected for 3 days at a time & water stored at 72°F. Infusoria is a first food with newly hatched brine shrimp given on the 2nd day.
Eggs are best collected & hatched in a seperate container as the parents will eat their offspring. Fry are transferred to a larger tank with a gradual water change. Growth is fairly slow with sexing out at 12-14 weeks. Maturity is at 6-7 months.

Growth is slow & sexual maturity may take 6-7 months.
Diameter of Egg  
Remarks