After M.E.Luja, the original collector of the species.

Boulenger G.A. 1911.

Liste des poissons representes dans une nouvelle collection de la riviere Sankuru (Kasai), recu de M.E.Luja.

Monatsberichte der Gesellschaft der Luxemburger Naturfreunde (Bulletins Mensuels de Societe des Naturalistes luxembourgeois 5: p 223-224.

Also: Annals & Magazine Natural History (8) viii. 1911, p 263.

5 cm

• D = 10-11, A = 14-15, ll = 29-32 (Boulenger 1911)
• D = 8-11, A = 13-16, ll = 27-32 (Wildekamp 1976)

Aphyosemion

elegans

• Haplochilus elegans (non Boulenger 1899) Boulenger 1910
• Haplochilus lujae Boulenger 1911
• Panchax lujae Ahl 1924
• Aphyosemion lujae Myers 1933

• Kondoué - 90 kms west of (southern Zaire)

A.aff.Lujae :-

• Boundji (eastern Congo)
• Kamalembe, Kasai Province, southern Zaire
• Oyo. (A.sp.Oyo RPC 91 / 8)?

Boulenger gives the type locality in 'Catalogue of the Freshwater Fishes of Africa in the British Museum (NH)' as '1-6 types collected at Kondue, Sankun River'. (Sankun may be a typing error in favour of Sankuru). This river is a tributary of the Kasai River, Central Zaire.

Wildekamp in 'World of Killies Vol 1' describes this location as a 'brook with gravel bed in the forest near Kondue, Kasai Province, southern Zaire'.

Scheel in ROTOW 1 gives there locality as '200 miles north of Stanley Pool, about, near the mouth of the Kasai River'.

The upper & middle Kasai River, southern Zaire. Distribution of the elegans group can be confusing. It is possible they may also inhabit the Alima River drainage system of eastern Congo (Wildekamp, World of Killies Vol 1).

Small rainforest streams & gallery forest areas.

Boulenger's description in Freshwater Fishes of Africa gives the following information on colouration:-

'Male olive above, yellowish beneath, with numerous, rather large carmine spots disposed irregularly; dorsal fin with small round purple spots; anal and caudal with large purple markings, which may form streaks in the direction of the rays'.

Boulenger is basically saying that the caudal is flamed or flare patterned similar to that found in A.pyrophore for example. I would envisage the purple spots to be red as too the flare pattern in the caudal fin. I would consider the preserving agent may have tainted the red colouration.

Computer generated image showing possible colouration / patterning of the caudal fin.

In 1911 Boulenger described Haplochilus lujae from numerous specimens collected by M.E.Luja at Kondue, Sankuru River, Kasai, Congo.

Boulenger gives the following collector / location in his 1915 Catalogue.

• 1-6 (Types). Collected by M.E.Luja at Kondue, Sankun River.

In 1931 Holly thought that sangmelinensis represented a synonym for lujae but this was not considered valid.

Poll in 1941 reported lujae from the Uele River, northern Zaire River drainage. He also noted that they had also been collected within the central part of this drainage.

Poll in 1952 preferred to restrict the range of this species to the Kasai drainage & gallery forests.

Weitzm, in 1961, identified an aquarium kept Congo Aphyosemion as lujae. This strain then circulating in the USA became known as 'La Corte's strain'. A colour photo of this strain can be found on page 281 of ROTOW 1. This was not the true lujae.

The true A.lujae has not been introduced to the hobby as yet. In 1976 a species by this name circulated in the USA but Wildekamp considered this to be A.ottogartneri. This population according to Wildekamp was collected in Congo (then French Congo) & was exported from the Belgian Congo (now Zaire) to the USA.

	This photo by Bill Shenefelt (USA) was taken in 1973 of the fish being distributed as A.lujae. Although it is not focussed the colour patterns can still be seen. The anal has the characteristic wide yellow outer margin & the caudal has the flared red patterning. Both traits are common to A.ottogartneri.
This photo by Monty Lehmann shows the import of A.lujae (ottogartneri) into the USA in the mid 1970's. Note significant differences in caudal patterning.

Wildekamp in 'A World of Killies' shows A.sp.Oyo under A.lujae as A.aff.lujae Oyo, eastern Congo. This sp. was collected by Paul de Walgeneer an AKFB member on an expedition to the Congo in 1991.
Biotope measurements taken on the 2nd August 1991 were - water temperature 20°C, pH 5·6, DH & KH less than 1°, air temperature 25°C. Sympatric sp. included Epiplatys multifasciatus.
Two collections from the same drainage are known, (Boundji being the other) north of the Zaire River. The known range for A.lujae is south west of the Zaire River.
An article on A.sp.Oyo is included as a reference:-
Aphyosemion species Oyo RPC 91/8. T.Lenormand & R.Lamy Chappuis. KCF Killi Revue No.04/99. September 1999. 6 pages including colour photograph.

Also, this sp. has been mixed up with A.ogoense & A.zygaima in the past.

Not known. A.spec.Oyo is probably the closest thing we have to A.lujae (given present knowledge). This species is considered by some breeders to be a little more difficult than others of the elegans group. I have bred Oyo & this is my experience:-

Fairly easy to breed in rainwater. Water changes appear to be important. If left without a change for 4 weeks egg production dies off dramatically to the point where no eggs are layed at all. This, despite a heavy growth of floating Ceratopteris. Cause is probably a build up of hormones in the water as Nitrates are used up by the vegetation.

It is interesting to note the low pH reading of 5.6 taken in there natural habitat. Perhaps a peat filter or peat substrate may help if fish refuse to spawn. When collecting eggs, try putting them in a peat extract solution to reduce the spread of fungus.

Fry have been observed to grow on in the parents tank. Fry hatched in containers are very small & I find infusoria a valuable food to keep in the fry tanks. I moved a batch of one week old fry to a 3 gallon (14 litre) tank filled with rainwater, with a good growth of algae & they seemed to grow on OK.