After Jorgen Jacob Scheel.

Huber J.H. & Radda A.C. 1977.

Cyprinodontiden studien in Gabun IV, Das Du Chaillu Massiv.

Aquaria 24: 105-107, figure 7.

4.5 cm.

D = 12-13, A = 14-15, D/A = +4, ll = 28-29(+2-3) (Huber & Radda 1977)

Mesoaphyosemion

ogoense

None.

• Diange
• Mbigou (central Gabon)
• Mimongo (central Gabon)
• Moubindou
• G 76 / 20
• G 76 / 21
• G 76 / 22
• G 80 / 8
• GBN 88 / 18
• GBN 88 / 19
• GBN 88 / 20
• GBN 88 / 21
• GEB 94 / 1, 12, 13, 15 & 16
• GJS 00 / 5 - Sikasika
• GJS 00 / 7
• GJS 00 / 8 - Takamogikou
• GJS 00 / 9
• GJS 00 / 10
• GJS 00 / 11
• GJS 00 / 13 - Nguambanga (12 km north of Malinga)
• GJS 00 / 15 - 20 km SW Mbigou
• GBB 93 / 21
• GJH 79 / 207 (JH)
• GJH 79 / 208
• GJH 79 / 210
• PEG 93 / 4

GBG 93 / 21 -

GJH 76/207 - 30kms west of Mbigou.

GJH 79/208 - 4kms north of Mbigou. Huber also found A.ocellatum here.

GJH 79/210 - A stream 10kms north of Bapossi on the road from Mbigou to Malinga, near the source of the Ngounié. A.ocellatum also found here.

GJS 00/5 - Sikasika - Mogens Juhl commented to me in an E-mail that these were collected at an altitude of 500 metres, water temperature 21·7°C, pH 6·4, conductivity 17 microsiemens.
Wild fish from this population were observed to be very prone to jumping out as soon as the lid was opened.

GJS 00/8 - Takamogikou - Collected in a stream named Boungoma. Here we found a very handsome population of A.joergenscheeli that later actually split out into two different phenotypes - a very blue and a very red one.

GJS 00 / 15 - 20km south west of Mbigou. From notes sent to me by Mogens Juhl - "Water temperature was 21°C, pH 5·95 and conductivity 6 µs.
Altitude was 540 metres and we found lots of A.joergenscheeli.
The stream was very narrow, only 20-40 cm wide, but after a tiny waterfall there was a ditch that was some 2 metres wide and rather deep.
Here I collected large amounts of juvenile A.joergenscheeli. They had gathered just beneath the waterfall where the current was strongest.
This population was very colourful with a strong blue body colour. Bitter once collected a population (GBN 88/..) that resembled this one very much, actually the most colourful A.joergenscheeli I had ever seen!"

6 km to the west of Mimongo towards Lébamba (between Magara & Lamadou).

Central southern Gabon in the Migoto-Ogoulou subsystem draining into the Ngounié River drainage system.
Mogens Juhl commented that he started to collect this sp. over 500 metres above sea level & not below this altitude.

Mostly fast flowing small streams & brooks. The type locality was about 500 m above sea level.
Wolfgang Eberl found them in streams which seldom exceeded 150-200 cms wide. Maximum depth is 50 cms. Water is clear but becomes cloudy during heavy rain. The rainy season here is October - December & March - June. The water level may double. Killies are found near the waters edge under overgrowing vegetation. Total hardness has been measured at below 1°dGH. Carbonate hardness so low it cannot be measured, pH 6 - 6·9. Conductivity at the type locality measured 31µs.

Mogens Juhl commented in an E-mail that he observed wild males to hold territories from 3 - 6' in diameter.
Friedrich Bitter in BKA Newsletter No.293 (Feb.1990) found adult males (3 in a 10 metre section) under overhanging roots at the edge of a stream. Collected with A.ocellatum which were in greater numbers at about 50:1 compared to A.joergenscheeli. Also collected in this area were Barbus camptacanthus, B.aff.jae, B.sp. & several unidentified catfish sp.
The principal food in nature is small freshwater shrimps, insects & larvae.

Distinguishing Characteristics

Discovered by Huber, Pürzl & Radda on the 1976 trip to Gabon. This coded G 76. Discovered at G 76/20. These were described in 1977. Also collected at the next location G 76/21 & 22. The vicinity of Mimongo and Yéno & on the road south towards Lébamba.

In 1979 Huber returned to collect the species again at locations JH 79/207 - 30 km west of M'bigou (Inland Plateau), running brook, night collection with the help of young local people. Also at JH 79/208 - 4 km north of M'bigou, brook running with strong volume of water general phenomenon in this very rainy area. The JH can sometimes be seen as 'G'.

Collected at G 80/8 in 1980 by Hoffman & Pürzl. Thought to be in the area of Mimongo, Gabon.

In 1988 Roland Numrich made a collection at GBN 88/18, 19, 20 & 21. None of these were bred successfully in aquaria.

Wolfgang Eberl collected this sp. in July 1993 at PEG 93/4. This collection is understood to be the first to be distributed in the hobby. Dadaniak & Bernard Lücke bred these & raised over 100 fish which were distributed in the hobby.

In February 1994 Thomas Blum & Wolfgang Eberl collected in Gabon at GEB 94/1, 12, 13, 15 & 16.

In 2000 Robert Guggenbühl, Pascal Sewer & Mogens Juhl collected in July-August 2000, Gabon. Found at localities GJS 00/5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13 & 15.

A difficult species to breed. Water temperature is best kept to 19-21'C.
Friedrich Bitter bred them in tanks of 40 x 20 x 20cm. Several cms of peat made up the base with some dark brown mops, one floating. A few half grown Epiplatys were added as target fish. The tank was aerated with a sponge filter. Complete water changes were made every 4-5 weeks.
Eggs were found to fungus in water so dry starage for 3 weeks was used. Fry are capable of taking newly hatched brine shrimp.
Males reportedly grow faster than females.

Lücke found that egg incubation took 4 weeks. He used 4 mops, 2 floating, 2 bottom. He found a pair would only produce 1-3 eggs daily. Eggs were water stored at 20-23°C. He mixed a little peat with the eggs in the storage containers to cover the eggs. After 4 weeks the water is changed to stimuate hatching. First foods are newly hatched brine shrimp & micro worms. Sexual maturity was gained in 9 months.
He found that male aggression diminished in fish over 2 years old.

Jim Warner in BKA newsletter No.414, March 2000 reported putting 3 pairs in an 18 x 9 x 9" tank with 100% rainwater, pH was reduced to 6·3. A small power filter was added. The tank varied in temperature from 58 to 66°F with the filter off. The filter was put on at night & off in the day. In 3 months only 2 partial water changes were done of 25%. No eggs were found. After a 30% water change in RO water just over a week later 10 eggs were found. He found eggs took 4 weeks to hatch.
Mogens Juhl was contacted about maintaining this species & he commented that a low pH would adversely affect this fish to the point they would stop eating. Also, spawning would stop if the temperature got higher than the low 70°'s.

Bob Merritt in BKA newsletter No.501, June 2007 reported a low pH of 4·7 produced more eggs.

It has been found by Eberl that this species can withstand a hardness of 20 GH without any problems.

Although they are reportedly difficult to breed they have been seen on numerous occaisions in BKA auctions.

It has been reported that this species will not spawn over 66°F & that their digestive systems stop functioning over 70°F.