After Herr Paschen, the original collector.

Ahl E. 1928.

Beiträge zur Systematik der africanischen Zahnkarpfen.

Zoologischer Anzeiger 79 (3-4): p 122-123, figure.

5 cm

• D = 11-12, A = 12, ll = 30-31 (Ahl 1928)
• D = 12, A = 14, D/A = +5-6, ll = 29-30 (Radda & Pürzl 1987)

n = 12, A = 24 (Scheel 1974)

Mesoaphyosemion

calliurum

• Panchax (Aphyosemion) pascheni Ahl 1928
• Panchax pascheni Holly 1930
• Aphyosemion pascheni Myers 1933
• Aphyosemion pascheni pascheni Amiet 1987

• Bissiang (southwestern Cameroon)
• Kribi (collected 20 km to the northeast of, Cameroon)
• CI 99 - Bissiang
• CMG 13 / 10

Longji, southwestern Cameroon.

Restricted to the M'polongwe River drainage system in the area of Longji, southwestern Cameroon.

Sheltered pools & swamps in brooks along coastal plain rainforest areas. Water analysis of their natural habitat was - water temperature 23·5°C, pH 5·7, DH 1.

Ahl described them as Fundulus pascheni in 1928 from 4 specimens caught near Longji, a small town on the coast of southern Cameroon. Holly examined these types in 1930 & changed some of the data.

In 1966 Scheel collected in the Longji area.

In 1972 they were re-discovered & considered to be A.ahli for a time.

In 1973 the sp. entered the BKA but enthusiasm was low for them & offspring were notably 'weak' producing belly sliders & runts. Future generations however were stronger.
Radda collected this form in a stream which was a tributary of the Mpolongue, a small coastal river finding the Atlantic south of Longji. This area was 20 km east-north-east from Kribi.

Reportedly difficult to breed. Parents are not considered to be egg/fry eaters & reports suggest leaving eggs in the parents tank, taking the young fish out for growing on. Eggs water incubate for around 20 days. Growth is slow with sexual maturity at around 7 months.

Fred Wright gives a breeding report in BKA newsletter No.102, February 1974 & No.254, October 1986. Males were observed to be hard drivers & cover for females was considered neccessary. A breeding tank was set up with peat fibre on the base. Water conditions did not appear too critical & pH 5·7, DH 1 was used. It was also observed that the fish would breed well in water of pH 6·6-6·8, DH 4. Water temperature was 23°C.
Top mops were ignored & eggs were found in the peat fibres.
Eggs incubated in water at 22°C hatched in 20 days. These produced many belly sliders. Another hatching stored at 24°C hatched again in 20 days but the fry this time were stronger resulting in no belly sliders or deformities. Fry were fed on liquid fry food for 3 days before going on to newly hatched brine shrimp.
Eggs were also collected with the peat fibre & dry stored for 30 days at 22°C. The fibre was wet in 3" of water at 75°F & produced the best hatching. A few belly sliders & runts were observed. A further dry storage batch was undertaken & this time the hatching water was raised to 77°F resulting in no belly sliders or runts.
Young are slow growing. First signs of sexing out appears in 10 weeks with the anal fin showing a faint marginal band.

This sp. is regarded as a good jumper.